Construction on Northbound Coolidge Begins Today

The Coolidge Highway repaving is set to begin today, "weather permitting," setting in motion the five-month project.

“If it stays dry, everything is slated to go," City Manager Alex Allie said Monday afternoon.

What to expect

The project to repave the road will have the northbound lane between 10 Mile and 11 Mile closed for nearly five months and the entire process is expected to run through mid-September.

Allie said the city is doing everything it can to ensure that the construction goes smoothly and that the area faces the least amount of congestion as possible.

One of the main concerns for many residents is the use of crosswalks, and Allie assures Huntington Woods residents — especially those with students at — that crosswalks will remain open and manned by public safety where needed.

“Pedestrians are always going to be able to cross at the mile roads and at Lincoln,” he said, adding that when intersections like Lincoln must close for work, it will only be for a “brief period of time and another intersection will be open to take its place.”

The official detour route will take motorists northbound on either Woodward Avenue or Greenfield.

For Huntington Woods residents, Allie said the city has established “local traffic only” detours, such as taking Scotia, Morton or Berkley. He hopes to keep the traffic flow through neighborhoods limited to residents, he said.

The first step of construction will be underground improvements, including the replacement of water main and storm drain lines.

DTE Energy has already started by replacing gas mains that run adjacent to the street, according to Larry Harworth, project manager at the .

The new Coolidge will be paved with concrete that will create a uniform pavement, according to Brad Brickel, project manager at Nowak & Fraus Engineers, which was contracted to create the plans and execute the permitting process.

A look at the numbers

• Residents approved a $2 million bond for the paving and water main replacement project, which also includes sections of LaSalle and Huntington.
• The City Commission awarded the $1.84 million contract for the work to DiPonio Contracting Inc. of Shelby Township in early April. Their contract ends on Sept. 17 and the project is expected to be completed by then.
• By repaving the road with concrete versus asphalt, the road will be more durable and get approximately 30 good years, rather than just 20, according to Brad Brickel, project manager at Nowak & Fraus Engineers.
• The stretch of northbound Coolidge between 10 and 11 Mile roads was reconstructed in 2001, and Allie said it fell apart almost immediately after the work was completed. The project cost was $700,000.
• Brickel says an estimated 20,000 drivers travel the one-mile stretch of Coolidge on a daily basis. He believes the motorists will ultimately be grateful, despite the inconvenience of a detour route through September.

What locals are saying

While most residents can say construction proves to be a hassle, the project under way on Coolidge is a long-overdue hassle for most.

Harworth said the Department of Public Works has received several phone calls from upset residents, but that the work is a necessity. “That street needs to be repaired, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “We’ll do the best we can.”

Berkley Patch Facebook readers weighed in on the project, too. Here’s what they had to say:

• Jennifer Fritz: "That's long over-due..."
• Van Lopez: "Really needs it"
• Jenny Johnson: "An inconvenience but SO worth it to fix that trail of tire busting road."
• Jennifer Flowers: "I hope it's done by the Dream Cruise in August. Coolidge is a main travel artery for residents who need to get in and out of neighborhoods between Woodward and Coolidge/Catalpa and 11 Mile. Travel at that time is already a nightmare for residents."

For more information on detours and egress points, click here.