Goodrich – Chaos, mud and confusion.
That’s what many local residents and motorists are finding on about 1,800 feet of Hegel Road just east of the Goodrich Country Club, as reconstruction of the thoroughfare started last week. The summer-long project, which closes the main street to through traffic including the high school, snarled traffic shortly after the first signs went up.
‘For some reason people, other than the residents in the construction area who need to get to their driveways, are ignoring the signs,? said Bill Tenny, project manager for Grand Blanc-based Zito Construction.
‘One day, we were getting so many cars driving through, I asked the sheriff department if they would start writing tickets. No flagmen were hired in the price of the contract, because the street is supposed to be closed to everyone except residents. This has become a serious safety issue.?
Genesee County Sheriff Capt. Chris Swanson said area motorists should drive with caution in the construction areas.
‘Construction zone signs override all other existing signs,? said Swanson. ‘Some drivers don’t see the need to obey these signs. The sheriff’s department will enforce all the construction signs including the ‘no-thru traffic? signs. That means unless you live on that road, in Goodrich that would be Hegel Road, you don’t need to be there and there will be a ticket issued.?
Swanson added that deputies will be diligent with regard to protecting the construction workers along that area.
‘The more reports of violators we receive, the more we will target these areas of construction.?
The delays along Hegel Road sent school buses down M-15 to Green Road and then to Gale Road to pick up and deliver students at respective bus stops. However the six buses that were originally allowed to go through the construction zone, for students who have bus stops within the construction radius, have been stopped by district officials.
‘There is just no point in our trying to continue to go down Hegel road on a day-to-day basis,? said Cindy Forsyth, school transportation supervisor who met with Larry Allen, interim superintendent, to discuss the problem.
‘We are going to stop allowing our buses to go through the construction site on Hegel. It’s too confusing for parents and students when there are days we are not able to get through.?
Forsyth said parents who have students at Oaktree and Reid Elementary schools who can’t get to their bus stops within the construction area, are being asked to take their children to the high school to be picked up in the morning. After school, the school buses are shuttling those same students from Oaktree and Reid to the high school for parents to pick up.
‘It only takes our buses an extra five minutes to go around the construction site,? said Forsyth. ‘Today I noticed they were digging huge pockets along the road. It’s just not safe for our buses to try and squeeze through.?
Some residents were surprised to find out their mailboxes were removed from their front yards.
‘We gave permission to Zito Construction to remove the mailboxes,? said Dan Orton, a media communications specialist for the post office located in Birmingham.
‘It is my understanding that Zito Construction spoke directly to the mail carrier along that route. The day before they did that, Zito Construction was supposed to put a note in each residents mailbox indicating their mailbox would be relocated to Ridge Road,? said Orton.
‘Most people don’t like this inconvenience. If anyone cannot get to their mail on Ridge Road, they should call Margaret Colley, the officer in charge at the Goodrich Post Office. If mail is not picked up, it’s possible that a resident’s mail is being held at the post office. She will be happy to discuss each resident’s concerns individually.?