A $5 million road construction projects starts this week on Sashabaw Road in Clarkston.
‘Travelers in the area should plan for delays,? said Independence Township Supervisor Pat Kittle.
The township sent every resident and business an informational card explaining project details. Dual left hand turn lanes on are being added to east bound Waldon. A new ramp to southbound Sashabaw Road will be constructed from northbound I-75, along with dedicated lanes for emergency vehicles.
“The project will include some minor improvements as well as installing turning lanes. There’s also a plan to add dual left hand turn lanes on east bound Waldon,” said township planner Dick Carlisle.
Independence Township Board voted, Feb. 17, to approve the reconstruction and widening project at Sashabaw and Waldon,
In April, township officials scrambled to find additional funding after the project was about $300,000 short. The shortfall came after the cost to complete the project had gone up about $1 million since it was first planned two years ago.
Kittle said increases were due to changes in construction safety standards, new highway construction requirements and a heavier than anticipated workload for contractors.
The Sashabaw Road corridor has 190 acres of vacant land available for development, but the open space is expected to shrink as developments continue coming to the area.
After years taking the legal route to move 200 hospital beds from a hospital in Pontiac to a new facility in Clarkston, the health care corporation axed that $300 million plan for a smaller plan.
Kittle said he recently reached out to McLaren officials for an update on the new projects.
McLaren presented a smaller plan consisting of a 30-bed “short-stay” hospital with an emergency room.
It would be a $30 million-$50 million investment in Clarkston.
Another project planned for Sashabaw Road, just north of I-75, is an 85-room Comfort Inn. The hotel has a site plan approval by Independence Township.
According to Kittle, it will also include a sit-down restaurant and office building. The township must still grant final approval on the plans.
For details of the Sashabaw Road construction, visit www.twp.independence. mi.us/Sashabaw_I75_ Construction_ Map_and_Schedule1.pdf.