After a fiery accident on I-75 last April left three dead, the Michigan Department of Transportation will start a guardrail project along I-75 to prevent similar accidents from happening.
MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi could not give a specific starting date, but said the project is scheduled to begin soon. The guardrail will run for 8.8 miles just north of M-15 to Joslyn Road.
‘We’ve received a lot of concerns from citizens and first responders and we did our best to locate money to design and build it. We want it done by the end of December,? said Morosi. ‘We understand their concerns and agree with them.?
‘We started pushing for this project about two years ago out of an obvious need from the amount of accidents on I-75. Fifteen percent of all our call volume comes from accidents on I-75,? said EMS Coordinator for Independence Township Fire Department Bob Cesario.
Residents and emergency responders also called for the guardrail after an April 30 crash resulted in three fatalities and five burning vehicles. The accident occurred when a southbound 2002 Chevy S-10 crossed the median striking a northbound 2004 Jeep Cherokee. Gas spread after the crash causing the vehicles to catch fire, as reported in the May 4 and 11 editions of The Clarkston News.
‘The last one was a fiery crash and that actually moved them. It’s sad someone had to die to get attention,? said Cesario.
Cesario noted cars often exit the roadway into median which can cause disastrous crashes if the median is narrow.
‘It didn’t make since to stop the guardrail at M-15 last time. It (the guardrail ) needs to go wherever there is narrowness between freeways,? said Cesario.
According to Morosi, the guardrail cost is $1.9 million, much of which will come from special funds from the federal government because the project was identified as a safety project.
‘Traditionally, what happens in a situation like this is you see the federal government pick up 80 percent and the state pay 20 percent,? said Morosi.
Morosi stressed the point that the project will cause a reduced speed in the area which may frustrate drivers.
‘We’ll have to close the left shoulder to protect the workers leaving only three lanes, compromising the road. A shoulder essentially is a place to pullover or recovery read to swerve. With the shoulder closed, we’re going to post that stretch at 45 m.p.h,? said Morosi.
‘The complaints will come because there are no lanes closed. It will be 45 m.p.h. until mid to late December for the safety of the workers and the public.?