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Printer-Friendly ModeConstruction aims to boost safety
Kochville road projects include Davis, Tittabawassee intersection
April 4, 2005 —
New road construction projects will help to transform Kochville Township in the upcoming year.
According to Kochville Township Supervisor Ken Bayne, three major upgrades to local transportation are underway along with the Bay Road expansion this past fall and this upcoming spring mostly under the jurisdiction of the state. The major work will be done on Davis Rd. and Tittabawassee Rd. Here, boulevards will be constructed, designed to ease the flow of traffic as well as reduce accidents at the busy intersection.
Beginning around mid-July to early August, construction will begin on these road developments. In addition to the construction of boulevards, the quarter-mile stretch of Davis from Tittabawassee to Hampton Place will be closed for a complete renovation of the road. This roughly $305,000 project was made possible by a $200,000 safety grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation, as well as roughly matching estimates from Kochville Township and the Saginaw County Road Commission.
Drivers heading south on Davis will only be able to turn right (west) onto a merge lane onto Tittabawassee. Due to the sheer volume of traffic that passes through this area, left-hand turns will be blocked by a boulevard in the middle of Tittabawassee. Drivers moving west on Tittabawassee Road will be allowed to turn right (south) onto Davis from a right-turn only lane, again to reduce the congestion on the heavily trafficked Tittabawassee corridor.
Bayne estimates that this construction will take around two months to complete, meaning that this construction will still be underway when the fall semester opens.
Besides the complete reconstruction of the road, a $70,000 project that involves the relocation of the water main under Davis Rd. will also take place. During the construction, drivers will be advised to seek a detour on Trautner Dr. to Davis Rd. to expedite their commutes, and to alleviate congestion on Tittabawassee and Bay Roads. Still, Bayne insists that when all is said and done, this new construction will be worth the wait.
"Any inconveniences caused by this construction will be greatly outweighed by its benefits," Bayne says.
He says that the construction will serve as a "welcome point" to Kochville Township, complete with landscaping of trees, shrubs and street lights on the boulevards, as well as a Kochville Township sign letting drivers know when they have entered the township.
Sidewalks will be installed on Davis from Tittabawassee to Hampton Place. According to Bayne, creating a positive aura in the area is vital to the continued expansion of Kochville Township.
Alongside of this project, another road construction project closer to campus is scheduled to begin near the end of the current semester.
The oft-traveled section of Pierce Road between Bay and Mackinaw is going to be completely resurfaced and redone. Notorious for potholes and poor road conditions, especially during heavy rains, Pierce serves as a main entry point to the campus. This $250,000 project is being undertaken completely at Township expense, and will be completed by the fall semester, meaning the thousands of commuters from Saginaw Township and other places west of campus will have a main vein to the University open in time for fall classes. Coinciding with the Bay Road construction, the resurfacing of Pierce Road will make it difficult at times to access SVSU from the south and west during the summer months.
The last major addition to township transportation deals with the Phase 2 construction of the Non-Motorized Pathway. With a nearly $400,000 TEA-21 Enhancement Grant, and a matching grant of nearly $100,000 from the Township, there will be a 1.7 mile addition to the bike trail that adorns the western end of campus.
This addition will connect the University to the Krossroads Park near Wal-Mart, as well as connect the campus to the Township Hall on Mackinaw Road. It will serve as an access point for students living on campus to be able to get to the business district, without requiring public transportation or a vehicle.