Four pieces of property needed for road improvements now belong to Independence Township. At their Oct. 7 meeting, township trustees approved purchasing the last of four easements on Sashabaw Road at Waldon Road.
The easement was purchased from Waldon Properties, and allows the township full control for any project and reconstruction work on the properties. The four easements in the area were purchased for $125,000. The township’s engineering firm, Hubbell Roth & Clark, worked with Road Commission of Oakland County, Michigan Department of Transportation, and property owners on the deal.
Construction in the area will include $4 million in improvements to the Sashabaw and Waldon Road intersection and the 1-75 interchange. Minor improvements as well as the installation of turn lanes will be added to the area. There’s also a plan to add dual left hand turn lanes on east bound Waldon.
Lanes in the area will be remarked, and a traffic light installed at the park and ride just south of a newly rebuilt gas station. The most significant part of the project is a new ramp to southbound Sashabaw Road from northbound I-75, and dedicated lanes for emergency vehicles.
McLaren, which has been trying to gain approval to build a $300 million hospital, has contributed $1.5 million for the road improvements.
McLaren officials are working to change legislative laws for approval of the hospital after being denied the request through a Certificate-of-Need process and by the court system.
McLaren officials have said they are ready to take the issue all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court, which is where their latest appeal is headed.
McLaren’s plans have the support of local officials as well as Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. Last month, state Sen. Randy Richardville, Republican senate majority leader from Monroe, introduced Bill 1037 to change certificate-of-need rules. In 2002, similar exceptions were made which allowed beds to be transferred and two new hospitals in Novi and West Bloomfield.