On April 26, I attended MDOT’s public meeting on its Ford Road (M-153) project between Sheldon Road and I-275, including the Ford Road and Haggerty intersection. Attendance was not particularly large—I would guess that roughly ten people not affiliated with the government attended the meeting.
This project has been a long time coming. The Canton Township Board of Supervisors objected to any dense residential zoning on the west side of I-275 through the 1980s. Despite that, the area now includes one of the densest commercial strips in Wayne County.
As a result of the dense commercial activity, traffic counts are as high as any commercial street for an old-style four-lane highway in Michigan. Consequently, there have been many accidents, and the road is ripe for improvements.
The government has planned on widening this road for over forty years, and it appears as though they are finally ready to follow through. As part of the project, MDOT intends to eliminate left turns on the street by inserting “islands” with Michigan-left turns. (I do have some fears that this may not help.)
To complete this project, MDOT will likely have to condemn roughly 50 parcels of land. A few of the condemnations may be “total takings,” meaning that the respective owner’s entire parcel will be condemned.
This project is fraught with uncertainty, but it is undoubtedly necessary. Hopefully the present owners will not be the ones to pay the price.
We are already representing a few of the owners in the event the project moves forward. Please feel free to reach out to our office if you believe you will be directly impacted by this project.
