Building a sense of community is one thing, but some motorists may be forgiven for wondering why everyone in the community is being invited to use the same road.
M-15 through Clarkston has again been chosen to serve as a detour around traffic work scheduled by the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Last summer, Main Street was used as part of the official detour while MDOT did repairs on the I-75 bridge over Dixie Highway.
This year, MDOT has again closed the entrance ramp from southbound Dixie to southbound I-75, sending traffic further south on Dixie to northbound M-15 to meet I-75.
In addition, MDOT’s work on the Sashabaw Road bridge over I-75 has traffic detoured along I-75, Clarkston and Maybee roads to M-15.
Since Main Street has the potential to back up even on a good day, the construction traffic has caused new headaches for motorists, and those who live and work in Clarkston.
‘Monday [April 4] was bad,? said Clarkston Police Chief Ernest Combs. ‘The second day, it lightened up a little bit.?
This week, what Combs called the ‘displacement? effect had lightened more.
‘People will find their own alternative routes if they know their way around,? he said. Those who use M-15 as their daily commuter route, for example, have alternatives along county roads in Brandon Township.
There are still concerns, however. Congestion at Main Street and Clarkston Road has the worst potential, with detour traffic coming from all three directions.
At one point, Combs said, southbound traffic waiting to make a left turn onto Clarkston Road veered into the lane reserved for northbound traffic to make left turns onto Miller Road.
Although the incident did not turn violent, Combs said one motorist reported two others yelling at her last Wednesday, making a confusing situation more stressful.
‘Not everybody is polite,? Combs said.
Another potential problem is the illegal use of Robertson Court off Main Street to gain access to Clarkston Road. Combs said he does not wish to have his officers write a lot of tickets, but, ‘I’ll do what I have to do? if problems arise.
Work on the Sashabaw Road bridge is expected to be finished by the end of May, before work is scheduled on the M-15 bridge over I-75. That MDOT project has local officials concerned, but Combs said there is little to do but grin and bear it.
‘This is going to be the trend all summer long,? the chief said. ‘Be patient, especially when the detours begin.?