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STERLING HEIGHTS — If you’ve been tryin’ to get through road construction on Ryan, or have lately frowned while on Mound, you’re not alone.
During a July 5 Sterling Heights City Council meeting, City Manager Mark Vanderpool updated the public about the road construction season. He said that while “everyone’s anxious” and there has been road congestion, the city is “trying to move these projects along as quickly as possible.”
“The good news is, we do have a lot of roadwork going on in the city,” he said.
According to City Engineer Brent Bashaw, the city planned to spend around $41.8 million this construction season, which will allow $128.9 million of work to take place thanks to additional funding sources.
Vanderpool first mentioned progress on Ryan Road. He said concrete work has finished from 14 Mile to 15 Mile roads, and the rest was set to be done within days. He said the next task is from 15 Mile to Metropolitan Parkway, adding that some pavement removal has already started.
Then Vanderpool talked about Metropolitan Parkway’s roadwork. Crediting “pretty good weather,” he said the county project between Dequindre and Ryan roads has gotten closer to completion, with “a first course of asphalt” on the two outer lanes.
In addition, Metro Parkway’s concrete work from Van Dyke Avenue to Dodge Park Road has been started, he said.
“So these are significant sections of Metro Parkway,” the city manager said. “They’re going to take months to finish up.”
Meanwhile, the multiyear Innovate Mound project is still underway, currently from north of 15 Mile to M-59. Vanderpool said many people are trying to avoid the area if possible.
“Needless to say, (it’s) just a massive project, over $200 million dollars,” he said. “But it is progressing nicely.”
One county road project that hasn’t started yet is “significant concrete repair work and then an asphalt overlay” on Hayes Road between 18 Mile Road and M-59, Vanderpool said. He expected the main work to last from August until the year’s end, with “punch list work” wrapping up around the following spring.
“It’s in horrible condition, so we look forward to getting that project completed this year,” he added.
Besides the major roads projects, reconstruction work has also begun on neighborhood streets and will continue this summer and fall. Vanderpool said 10 out of the slated 18 streets have received attention so far. Sectional repairs to certain streets are also underway, he added.
“As I do every year, I apologize in advance, but this is short-term pain for long-term gain,” he said. “We do have a much better road network than we did five, seven years ago. So thank you for your patience.”
In an email, Community Relations Director Melanie Davis said summer road projects have various detours as the season goes on. That said, she said the city expects 15 Mile Road and M-59 to be basically open and perhaps “a nice viable alternative” for drivers in the city.
“But your best bet during construction season is to plan ahead and stay informed so you aren’t surprised,” she said.
Davis listed some contacts to keep informed. Anyone interested in Mound Road’s status can visit innovatemound.org or call 855-MOUND-4-U. For other projects in the city, she recommended visiting the Cone Zone webpage at sterling-heights.net/conezone.
Davis said the city also sends out emails and texts about road issues, and residents can subscribe by visiting sterling-heights.net/notifyme.
“Signing up for these means any time there is a new closure or important change, they’ll receive the alert directly to their email or phone and be armed with up-to-date information to confidently navigate their route,” she said.
Learn more about road projects in Sterling Heights by visiting the Cone Zone webpage at www.sterling-heights.net/1039/Cone-Zone-Road-Construction-Updates or by calling (586) 446-2489.
