Wayne County announces 2019 construction season projects for roads, parks

112 projects total nearly $87 million

Construction barrels (WDIV)

DETROIT – Wayne County’s Department of Public Services announced Tuesday its list of capital improvement projects for the 2019 season.

From the county:

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The county will start 30 road construction projects, 10 bridge construction projects and conduct 59 heavy road maintenance projects covering primary and local roads, totaling just under $82 million. The Parks Division will have 13 capital improvement projects this year totaling over $5 million.

The projects are expected to improve approximately 170 lane miles of roads from resurfacing to reconstruction. Major road and bridge work includes the resurfacing of Outer Drive between Seven Mile and Livernois in Detroit, reconstructing West Road Bridge at Frank and Poet Drain in Trenton and resurfacing on Rotunda Drive and Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. The four Hines Drive Bridges that have been closed will also begin construction with proceeds from the sale of the Phoenix Mill helping to supplement project costs.

“As the statewide road funding debate unfolds this construction season, we’ll be out there doing as much as we can to maintain and improve our roads and bridges,” said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. “However, as every commuter knows, this work isn’t enough. Until there is a long-term statewide solution, counties and local communities are only able to put Band-Aids on the problem."

The county also announced the heavy road maintenance projects which are expected to begin in early May and conclude by October. The road maintenance projects are expected to impact 25 communities throughout Wayne County. An additional $5 million will be used for road maintenance work, doubling the amount from 2018. The Roads Division will also have 50 seasonal workers to support the completion of the maintenance work.

“I applaud our roads team and am excited about some of the key projects we expect to complete, but the reality is, we still can’t keep up with the deterioration of the overall system. Things won’t get better without a massive infusion of cash,” Evans said.

 

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App allows residents to report problems to Public Services

Residents can also sign up for the Wayne County Connect app (available via Apple Store and Google Play) to report non-emergency issues to Wayne County. Whether it is street repair, potholes or tree damage, residents can use Wayne County Connect to notify the County and monitor the progress
of the work. Residents can take photos of the issue and send them in with their report.

“Our roads and engineering divisions have set an aggressive schedule and we are eager to get construction season into full swing,” said Beverly Watts, Wayne County Department of Public Services Director. “We hope residents and motorists will take full advantage of the new app to report issues so we can tend to them as quickly as possible."

Park improvements

Wayne County Parks division will have 13 capital improvement projects this year totaling over $5 million. 

Projects include:

  • $800,000 in renovations to the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center with improved classroom technologies, adding interactive displays and enhanced animal habitats
  • A new boardwalk in the Holliday Nature Preserve will offer Wayne County residents, visitors, school and family groups of all ages and abilities to explore and enjoy the preserve by utilizing a paved trail and an extensive boardwalk and viewing area along the Middle Rouge River.
  • Also, Wayne County Parks will collaborate with the Motor City Mountain Biking Association (MCMBA) to implement two mountain bike trails Lakeview and Riverview in Hines Park.  

Mowing schedule

Wayne County officials say there will be 10 cycles of mowing this construction season. There will be multiple crews mowing multiple areas simultaneously in order to complete the locations listed below within a two week period: