By Bruce Rolfe
An informational meeting explaining a road project in Charleston Township drew a room full of Charleston Township residents, County Road Commission officials and officials involved with the project May 7 at the Charleston Township Hall.
The meeting was went briskly and was done in less then a half hour after a tornado warning was issued close to the time the meeting started. Visitors had the opportunity to wait in the basement of the township hall after the meeting until the tornado warning expired.
Assistant County Engineer Jim Hoekstra made the presentation, noting the project will start at 44th Street and MN Avenue and continue on Mercury Drive to just short of East Michigan Avenue.
Hoekstra said federal and RCKC funds will be used for this project, which is estimated to cost $983,361.17.
Lakeland Asphalt will be the contractor, Rowe Professional Services Company will be the inspector and RCKC is the project manager.
The projected start date is May 23 and it is estimated the project will be completed August 2.
There will be a detour for approximately 12 weeks while the project is taking place. The detour route will be 40th Street to East Michigan Avenue. Local traffic will be maintained however there may be delays.
Emergency vehicle access will be allowed at all times. Work will primarily take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents along the project route could expect driveway transitions, and some lawn disturbance.
Hoekstra assured visitors there shouldn’t be a detour in place the day of the Memorial Day parade and activities in the Village of Climax May 27.
The scope of the work includes milling and resurfacing from 44th and MN, and then on Mercury Drive up to just short of Michigan Avenue, curb and gutter, a small road realignment at Mercury Drive and MN Avenue, and widening MN Avenue for a left turn lane at the intersection of 44th Street and East MN Ave.
Hoekstra said the project was selected because of the length of time since the road has been paved and accident history at MN Avenue and Mercury Drive. He said it’s been 30 years since Mercury Drive was paved and 12 years MN Avenue has been repaved. The last chip seal was performed in 2017.
A left hand turn lane for drivers heading west, will be added at the intersection of MN Avenue and 44th Street.
The portion of the road that curves onto Mercury Drive or continues on East MN Avenue will be realigned into a curve for a 90 degree angle offering a better sight line. For drivers on MN Avenue heading straight on East MN Avenue, instead of driving straight through, they will have to slow down and drive on a curve to continue on MN Ave. According to the RCKC the project will square out the intersection. Drivers
heading west approaching the stop sign from the east on MN Avenue will have an easier line of sight when turning right or left.
The assistant county engineer adds crash history at the intersection of Mercury Drive and East MN Avenue as well as complaints about the curve at the intersection being dangerous, factored into the decision to alter the intersection.
“I think the goal here is to try to make it safer for anybody on that curve. I think from the crash patterns that we were seeing, is we’ve got people that were misjudging that curve, thinking they’re going straight, and at the last minute they try and turn and they go off into the ditch,” said Hoekstra, who adds RCKC also had requests for a left turn lane at the intersection of 44th Street and MN.
There will be concrete curb and gutter at the intersection of MN and Mercury Drive.
Roadway crushing and shaping at the curve where the road way will be widened will take place. Three layers of asphalt will be put down where the road is being widened and one layer of asphalt for the rest of the project.
Tree removal for the project has already taken place. The next phase begins on approximately May 23, followed by shoulder widening and curb and gutter work in mid-June. Base paving is scheduled to begin in early July, followed by milling in mid-July and paving in Mid-July to late July. Restoration, sign installation and pavement markings will take place in late July or early August.
RCKC will return in one to two years to chip seal the stretch of road within the project to extend the life of the pavement.
Hoekstra said the flashing yellow lights at Mercury and MN that were previously in place will not be put back. He said there will be a super elevation on the curve to help keep cars on the road.
There will be brand new signage installed along the project route.
An informational meeting explaining a road project in Charleston Township drew a room full of Charleston Township residents, County Road Commission officials and officials involved with the project May 7 at the Charleston Township Hall.
The meeting was went briskly and was done in less then a half hour after a tornado warning was issued close to the time the meeting started. Visitors had the opportunity to wait in the basement of the township hall after the meeting until the tornado warning expired.
Assistant County Engineer Jim Hoekstra made the presentation, noting the project will start at 44th Street and MN Avenue and continue on Mercury Drive to just short of East Michigan Avenue.
Hoekstra said federal and RCKC funds will be used for this project, which is estimated to cost $983,361.17.
Lakeland Asphalt will be the contractor, Rowe Professional Services Company will be the inspector and RCKC is the project manager.
The projected start date is May 23 and it is estimated the project will be completed August 2.
There will be a detour for approximately 12 weeks while the project is taking place. The detour route will be 40th Street to East Michigan Avenue. Local traffic will be maintained however there may be delays.
Emergency vehicle access will be allowed at all times. Work will primarily take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents along the project route could expect driveway transitions, and some lawn disturbance.
Hoekstra assured visitors there shouldn’t be a detour in place the day of the Memorial Day parade and activities in the Village of Climax May 27.
The scope of the work includes milling and resurfacing from 44th and MN, and then on Mercury Drive up to just short of Michigan Avenue, curb and gutter, a small road realignment at Mercury Drive and MN Avenue, and widening MN Avenue for a left turn lane at the intersection of 44th Street and East MN Ave.
Hoekstra said the project was selected because of the length of time since the road has been paved and accident history at MN Avenue and Mercury Drive. He said it’s been 30 years since Mercury Drive was paved and 12 years MN Avenue has been repaved. The last chip seal was performed in 2017.
A left hand turn lane for drivers heading west, will be added at the intersection of MN Avenue and 44th Street.
The portion of the road that curves onto Mercury Drive or continues on East MN Avenue will be realigned into a curve for a 90 degree angle offering a better sight line. For drivers on MN Avenue heading straight on East MN Avenue, instead of driving straight through, they will have to slow down and drive on a curve to continue on MN Ave. According to the RCKC the project will square out the intersection. Drivers
heading west approaching the stop sign from the east on MN Avenue will have an easier line of sight when turning right or left.
The assistant county engineer adds crash history at the intersection of Mercury Drive and East MN Avenue as well as complaints about the curve at the intersection being dangerous, factored into the decision to alter the intersection.
“I think the goal here is to try to make it safer for anybody on that curve. I think from the crash patterns that we were seeing, is we’ve got people that were misjudging that curve, thinking they’re going straight, and at the last minute they try and turn and they go off into the ditch,” said Hoekstra, who adds RCKC also had requests for a left turn lane at the intersection of 44th Street and MN.
There will be concrete curb and gutter at the intersection of MN and Mercury Drive.
Roadway crushing and shaping at the curve where the road way will be widened will take place. Three layers of asphalt will be put down where the road is being widened and one layer of asphalt for the rest of the project.
Tree removal for the project has already taken place. The next phase begins on approximately May 23, followed by shoulder widening and curb and gutter work in mid-June. Base paving is scheduled to begin in early July, followed by milling in mid-July and paving in Mid-July to late July. Restoration, sign installation and pavement markings will take place in late July or early August.
RCKC will return in one to two years to chip seal the stretch of road within the project to extend the life of the pavement.
Hoekstra said the flashing yellow lights at Mercury and MN that were previously in place will not be put back. He said there will be a super elevation on the curve to help keep cars on the road.
There will be brand new signage installed along the project route.
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