Chesterfield Braces for Construction on 23 Mile

Construction on a half-mile stretch of 23 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township is expected to start Friday–causing a headache for motorists who regularly travel through the congested area.

The $300,000 project, which is being run by the Michigan Department of Transportation, is expected to be complete in early August.

The project will upgrade curbs to meet with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and resurface the road between Gratiot and I-94.

The work is restricted to non-peak hours and separated into two stages. The first stage involves the right lanes on eastbound and westbound 23 Mile Road, forcing the closure of those lanes from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday.

Both stages of construction will overlap on the weekends.

Rob Morosi, spokesman for MDOT, says that the construction will cause traffic headaches—but that’s why it’s on a truncated schedule.

“The contractor is keenly aware of the impact, but it will be early August (when it’s finished), not through the month,” he said. “The only time it won’t be impacted is when it rains.”

That stage involves the left lanes, including the center-turn lane, which will also be closed weekly from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. While this construction is going on, left turns will be prohibited, except at Gratiot Avenue and Colonial Club Drive.

During both stages, a single right lane will be closed for curb work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Rose Carleton, a longtime resident of the area who lives off of Sass Road, says she is dreading the construction.

“That area is already a nightmare during rush hour,” she said. “I don’t even want to see what it’s going to be like when there’s construction. The sad thing is, there’s really no way to avoid it out here. It’s going to be rough.”