While many infrastructure improvements have taken place on Sashabaw Road over the past decade since the establishment of the Sashabaw Road Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA), what hasn’t been accomplished is the widening of Sashabaw Road between Flemmings Lake Road and DTE Music Theatre.
The Independence Township Board voted 6-0 to enter into an interlocal agreement with Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC) and contribute $200,000 out of the general fund for design engineering costs, while the other $200,000 is paid by RCOC.
“This is basically where everything gets speced out and all of the details get put into drawings and unit pricing is added to that,” explained Supervisor Pat Kittle “That essentially becomes your bid specs sheet to actually go out and develop the hard costs.”
This project, if approved, would be the final project to fully implement the CIA’s plan. It would expand from the current four lane highway to five lanes, by adding in a left hand turn lane and a right-hand turn lane into DTE for northbound traffic. Safety paths and sewer mains would also be included in the construction plans.
“For years this section has been impacted by DTE traffic on concert nights, as well as regular community traffic at estimated roughly 20,000 vehicles a day. It gets a ton of traffic with north and south commuters from both within and outside of the township,” Kittle said. “There have been a number of severe traffic accidents in this stretch of highway over the past 10 years, including a fair number of pedestrian accidents as well and/or those who are on bikes. That’s not all contributable to the DTE traffic because some of these have happened in broad daylight.”
Township Planner Dick Carlisle said this deteriorated section of Sashabaw Road along with no sewer main is a major reason for the lack of commercial development along the west side of the road.
The township started the process of acquiring rightof-way through property owner donation several years ago when funding at that time seemed feasible. Of the 14 parcels where right-of-way is needed, the township has already acquired the necessary donation of six parcels.
In January 2013, the township’s engineers Hubbell, Roth & Clark (HRC) estimated the total project would cost, which included sewer was around $2.6 million. Kittle said cost estimates now are around $3.8 to $4 million.
“What is interesting about is, whether we do it now or whether we do it in a couple of years from now the specs are going to stay the same,” he said. “What would change would be the unit pricing.”
“Because of some funding opportunities with RCOC, they are considering helping us with other funding. There could be some federal safety dollars allocated. I’ve heard numbers approaching a half a million dollars. Because of the traffic accidents involving pedestrians, I’ve heard of numbers up to seven digits coming in from the road commission to help offset expenses,” Kittle added. “We have $600,000 committed from DTE Music and I have approached them to ask from an incremental amount up and beyond that and we’re working with Palace Sports and Entertainment, upper management right now to see if some sort of funding model can be put together to keep the townships total contributions somewhere between $1 million to $1.5 million.”
According to the township’s business model, typically the first builder on un-built property is responsible for paying the entire sewer construction costs for that area. To help cover sewer costs, Kittle said they’re looking into creating a Special Assessment District (SAD) for the property owners along the west side of the street and amortize those costs over a number of years.
The timing of the project if approved is currently estimated to start in 2018/2019.
Kittle thanked everybody following the approval to go ahead with the engineering designs.
“I think this is going to be money well spent,” he said.