Every year we travel from Michigan to Florida via car so we see first hand the horrible conditions of Michigan roads. Yes, I know the snow and salt do damage. But why can't they just do it right the first time? Two words Government and job security.
Case in point - M-53 aka Van Dyke Freeway aka Christopher Columbus Freeway. When we moved out to Washington Township 11 years ago I remember orange barrels along M 53 and every year they seem to return to the same place. They close the road and resurface a few miles, then return the next year cut out bad sections, then return the next year to place asphalt in the holes they created by fixing the bad sections. Then we drive on a road that feels like we're on a rickety wood roller coaster. Can they for once get it right so we can have a nice road to drive on without seeing those dreaded orange barrels???
Well folks in case you missed it the Macomb County Road Commission has a $40 million dollar project that will begin in March of 2009. So be prepared to see orange barrels for about 9 months. MDOT plans to resurface 9 miles of M 53 from 18 Mile to 27 Mile with asphalt, add a new bridge and create two round abouts at 26 Mile and M53. Funds for the project will come mostly from the federal government, actually about 80%, and an additional 20% from the state of Michigan and a small amount from Sterling Heights.
But have no fear I'm sure they will return to the same strip of land next year for their job security. How do I know? Well Gov. John Enger's Build Michigan II has been fixing this same stretch of road since 2001 and it was supposed to provide a 10 year fix.
- $3.1 million for 28 Mile to 31 Mile
- $12 million for 18 Mile to 23 Mile
- $12 million for 23 Mile to 27 Mile
Do you know why the stimulus package includes so much money to repair the roads? They actually never repair them.
