A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but Candice Jones is smelling fewer roses these days.
Jones is owner of Candice’s Flowers and Garden Center on Sashabaw Road, where road construction has kept customers away from several businesses this summer.
‘They don’t like it,? Jones said. ‘They like to stay away from this area. Business is pretty slow.?
The shop normally sells 300-400 roses each week, Jones said. This summer it’s been only 90 to 100, and the recent shift of traffic to new pavement on the west side of the road will make it worse.
‘I’ll be happy when it’s done,? she said of the road work, which will turn Sashabaw Road into a four-lane boulevard between Waldon and Maybee roads.
Craig Bryson, spokesman for the Road Commission for Oakland County, said the commission has tried to help local businesses with temporary drives, but their frustration ‘is understandable.?
If there’s good news, it’s that the project is on schedule and under budget at this point, Bryson said. The shift of traffic to the new pavement will allow for the construction on the east side, with the entire project planned for completion by November.
The latest addition to traffic restrictions is a prohibition of left turns from Sashabaw to Waldon until approximately Oct. 31. Road commission officials said it is necessary because one-lane traffic in each direction on Sashabaw would produce even more delays if left turns were allowed.
Dale Verhey of Clarkston Auto Body calls the left-turn prohibition the only major inconvenience. Other than that, he believes the headline should be ‘business as usual.?
‘I don’t have any complaints,? he said. ‘There’s a little inconvenience here and there, [but] the road crew’s done an awesome job.?
Verhey’s business is also on the east side of Sashabaw, so his clients must now navigate a temporary gravel drive. Even so, there are few problems.
‘They dig it up to work on it and then they fill it back in,? he said. ‘It’s going to be a beautiful thing when it’s done.?
Kari Butz, co-owner of Artful Framer at Independence Town Square, is also choosing a positive attitude toward the construction. She said customers are doing the same.
‘Most of them are excited that we’re going to have a district like this. Most of them are willing to put up with this, because they see the end game,? Butz said. ‘As a nation, we all have to quit complaining about everything and do the best we can.?
Grondin’s Hair Center apparently has faithful customers, also. Erica Strube said people continue to patronize the establishment, also located at Independence Town Square.
‘We’ve had some late appointments [because of construction], but people will make sure to get here.?
This section of Sashabaw currently carries approximately 29,000 vehicles per day, according to road commission officials. It is expected to carry 62,000 vehicles per day by 2025.
RCOC’s contractor for the project is Sunset Excavating, of Livonia. The contractor will be paid $6.1 million for the widening project. Additionally, right of way required for this project cost approximately $1.5 million, utility work cost about $1.5 million and the preliminary engineering cost approximately $500,000, for a total project cost of approximately $9.6 million.
Independence Township is contributing $1.1 million of the project cost, including 10 percent of the contractor cost as well as 100 percent of the costs for water main upgrades, new street lighting and an irrigation system for the new boulevard.
Also, approximately $1 million worth of right of way was donated by adjacent property owners. RCOC’s contribution is $472,000.