Boulevard coming to problem area of M-53

Project will start in 2029; Public meetings to be held

 

IMLAY CITY — Michigan Department of Transportation officials attended the city commission meeting in Imlay City last week, revealing plans for a new boulevard to be built down the middle of M-53.

It is expected work on the $10 million project will be done during the 2029 construction season.

Following the meeting, an MDOT official said the project is definitely moving forward, but they are hoping to get an endorsement from the city.

“It’s more of an ethics thing,” he said. We are moving forward. We have the funding secured and it is costing Imlay City nothing financially. There is no match money required or anything.”

However, before the work begins, there are years worth of preparation including attempting to purchase frontage right of way from businesses and educating the public on the plan. Many in the community, after a long history of crashes on the busy stretch of S. Cedar St., have called for a stoplight to be installed.

MDOT officials say a stoplight would not correct the problem and could in fact create more trouble. In addition, a stoplight would take two to three years to get installed, according to MDOT and cost around $500,000.

The boulevard plan, according to MDOT, “will help address the safety issues, on M-53.”

The state transportation officials provided data that shows over the past five years there has been 132 crashes from Newark north one mile to near McDonald’s.

Included in the crash data was information of four incapacitating, non-fatal injuries as well as three fatalities in the five-year span.

MDOT says the M-53 corridor has been on their radar since 2020 but, funding or lack thereof, was an issue. Now, as a member of the 14-county Bay Region of MDOT, officials say the entire $10 million dollars allotted for the region will be put into the Imlay City project.

“It’s very unusual for one project to get 100% of the regional funding, all of the traffic and safety money” one MDOT official said after the meeting. “It just goes to show how strongly the State feels about this and the need to get it done. It is a one season (construction) job.”

Although typically 32-feet wide, MDOT officials say the Imlay City boulevard will be 24-feet wide. They also intend to purchase 10-feet of frontage from businesses on both sides of the highway to allow for the construction. When the project is done, M-53/S. Cedar will have five-foot sidewalks on both the east and west side of the roadway.

A boulevard eliminates left turns and causes traffic to go north to a turn around area known as a “Michigan left-turn” or “Michigan U-turn.”

Another part of the multi-million dollar project calls for new pavement to be applied to the entire M-53 corridor, from the railroad overpass south to Newark Rd.

Two large turnarounds, one on each end, will be constructed to allow trucks to make the turn as well as an enlarged intersection by Borland Rd, to allow fire trucks access to S. Cedar without having to go north to use the turnaround.

While planning continues on the project, MDOT officials are working with city officials to host public meetings to allow a time for information and questions.

City Manager Craig Horton said the meetings will not be held until after the fair. He is anticipating the need for a large venue to hold guests for the meetings.