By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK – The Allen Road bridge over Ecorse Creek will remain closed through the end of the year, City Administrator Mark Kibby said at a Sept. 22 City Council meeting.
“It’s a Wayne County project – that should be enough said right there,” Kibby said jokingly.
C.E. Raines Engineer Souheil Sabak said at the study session that DTE personnel have been at the site evaluating the project in conjunction with Wayne County representatives, and that the project is proceeding.
Kibby said DTE is trying to determine the best way to remove the high voltage power lines out of the construction area, so Dan’s Excavating can begin its work.
He said the bridge closure has imposed a burden on the city and its residents, and said city officials have continued to encourage Wayne County personnel to get better detour signage.
“You still have traffic going into that area, that construction zone,” Kibby said. “They do have a sign, a message board, on Allen Road, I think it’s at Garfield, and that’s fine, but they really need to have one on Southfield, so you can divert that traffic down to Outer Drive, before Dix-Toledo, to tell people to avoid that area. I have a major problem with how they signed the area, and I think that has to be addressed.”
Mayor Gail McLeod said she has sent emails to Wayne County Commissioners Sam Baydoun, who represents Allen Park, and Ilona Varga, who represents Melvindale, as well as to Melvindale Mayor Wheeler Marsee. She said she also sent emails to the Wayne County employees responsible for traffic signs.
“I referred them to a state of Michigan manual on traffic signs,” McLeod said. “So, one of these days I may become an expert on traffic signage, if I have time to read through a 76-page manual.”