STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A series of road repair projects could start soon in Sterling Heights.
It involves parts of 14 Mile Road, 17 Mile Road and 18 Mile Road. The areas are all heavily traveled and impact numerous communities.
Drivers could see the projects start as soon as July. It’s part of a $250 million budget expected to be approved Tuesday.
On his way home from work, driver Terrance Thompson stopped to tell us how Michigan roads have affected him.
“Front-end suspension work,” Thompson said.
We also hit the road to check out some of the same trouble spots people have been complaining about. We asked another driver if they are satisfied with how long the repairs last. She replied “no.”
Driver Billy Joe Reed stopped for gas in the area on Monday and said, “I don’t think temporary repairs last. It ought to be done right the first time instead of taxpayers having to pay to redo and redo.”
The repair work is expected to gain city council approval and last two years, tackling 14 Mile from Van Dyke Avenue to Maple Lane, 18 Mile from Utica Road to Plumbrook Drain and 17 Mile Road from Mound Road to Van Dyke Avenue.
VIDEO: Drive with us down 14 Mile in Sterling Heights
City Manager Mark Vanderpool spoke with us as well, highlighting another important phase of the project, which is a total reconstruction of Clinton River Road.
“Clinton River Road, when you think about that road, it connects Henry Ford High School, it goes over M-53. We’ll be putting a sidewalk across that,” Vanderpool said. “We try to stagger the projects, so we don’t have them all going at once.”
The city says they plan to post detours on their website, and all of the projects will pave the way for a better future.
“When it’s completed, there’s a wow factor to it. There’s new landscaping, there’s new signage, there’s new traffic signals. It looks beautiful,” Vanderpool said.
Sterling Heights is also planning to send out text alerts to drivers once the work gets underway. The project is worth more than $20 million. The first phase could take roughly a year to complete.
