NOVI, Mich. (WXYZ) — Beck Road has been an ever-increasing headache for many in metro Detroit because it has not kept up with the pace of growth.
Watch the report in the video player below:
A public meeting Wednesday night is attempting to address the congestion on the one-lane road on the corridor from 9 Mile Road to Pontiac Trail.
While Beck Road goes through multiple communities in Wayne and Oakland counties, Wixom and Novi — the areas being addressed at the meeting — account for 20% of the population growth in Oakland county.
See the presentation for the public meeting below:
Beck Road public hearing presentation by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
Today, I went out and talked to people in the area to get a sense of what Beck Road is like for them.
“It’s an issue. But we try to adapt to it as best we can,” said Megan Reaume, a manager at Sandstone Therapeutic Massage.
Reaume has worked at Sandstone Therapeutic Massage in Novi for 13 years and she’s seen things change.
“It gets really backed up, even all the way to Taft (Road). So, it’s definitely become more congested in the recent years,” Reaume said.
Watch our February 2022 report about plans to widen Beck Road below:
She says it affects the flow of business at least a couple times a week.
“Well, we’re appointment based here and we have people that need to arrive on time, obviously, to be seen by the therapists here. And they’re calling a lot saying I’m going to be late because Beck Road is so congested,” Reaume said.
Austin Kasha, the owner and an optometrist at Beck Eyecare, has seen the same.
“I’ve lived in the area, very close by actually, for about 12 years. And when I moved in 12 years ago, it was not like this. Twelve years ago, one lane would have been fine. It’s not anymore,” Kasha said.
He says the noise is already an issue and any attempts at improvement will mean headaches.
“So now, you’ve got these houses whose driveways are on Beck or their backyards are on Beck and they have to deal with the noise, they have to deal with dust, they have to deal with traffic, etc. How are they going to pull out of their driveway. It’s going to be a little rough,” Kasha said.
I also met up with Jeffrey Herczeg, director of Public Works for the city of Novi. He said the environmental assessment will go from 9 Mile Road to Pontiac Trail.
But the project is not yet fully funded.
“Currently, funding is in place, $4.7 million for the segment from 11 Mile to Grand River,” Herczeg said.
The public meeting is necessary to complete an environmental assessment and move forward with projects and funding.
“Estimates are about 10 to 12 million dollars per segment from 9 Mile to Pontiac Trail. It does not include the rail crossing. The rail crossing would be like a $30-million project.”
More information about the project can be found at becktothefuture.org. Feedback can also be submitted there.
