In The Margins: New ramps on I-675 can complement downtown development efforts

From © The Saginaw News Editorial Board

SAGINAW — It’s taken 10 years to get there, but beginning in the spring, a $12.5 million construction project many hope will change the face of downtown Saginaw will begin.

From April to November, crews from the Michigan Department of Transportation will work to improve access to Washington Avenue and the downtown area through the construction of new exit ramps, bridges, road reconstruction and more.


SN: No doubt motorists whose regular commute involves I-675 aren’t happy to hear the construction on that stretch of highway will continue, but the finished result should make up for it.

As one of the first entry points into downtown, the Washington Avenue exit was far from ideal and hardly showed off Saginaw’s best side.


Tom Miller, an economic development specialist for Saginaw Future Inc., which has been involved with the project since the beginning, said the project is another step in revitalizing the city of Saginaw.

“It started because the original access was confusing to people,” Miller said, adding the exit ramp didn’t take drivers anywhere near destinations including St. Mary’s of Michigan hospital, 800 S. Washington, or the Temple Theatre, 201 N. Washington.

“It takes patience, and it may be disruptive for a while, but ultimately the construction is a sign of progress,” Miller said. “It takes a while to realize that.”


SN: For those unfamiliar with Saginaw, the exit not only was confusing, it was a cause for concern. In some cases, drivers wound up winding through neighborhoods, and not the most attractive ones, to get to their final destinations.

A more-direct connection to Washington Avenue might help people get in and out of downtown.

But our central city’s future will depend upon more than moving people and goods on and off the freeway. Efforts need to continue, and others take root, that are intended to breathe business life back into downtown. The new ramps can complement that work. 


The project means that, for the third year in a row, accessibility to the I-675 corridor will be limited. Crews are working to complete a $42 million revamp of the roads and bridges on eight miles of I-675. Work on southbound lanes was completed in 2009, and crews are set to wrap construction on northbound lanes sometime in November.

“We are making significant improvements to the I-675 corridor, and we appreciate the cooperation we have received from area businesses and residents,” said Anita Richardson, spokeswoman for MDOT. “The work will ultimately result in more convenience, and that’s our goal.”

Drivers should see the progress next year, Richardson said.


SN: Patience, patience, patience.

Those ubiquitous orange barrels are a pain, to be sure. But once they’re rolled away, drivers here will have some decent stretches of road to travel after years of wear-and-tear and neglect.

That’s worth a little — or even a lot — of inconvenience in the short term.

 

Richardson said civic and business leaders like Miller have been working since 2001 to secure funding to reconstruct the Interstate 675 downtown ramp that now leads drivers through neighborhoods that some say present a blighted view of Saginaw.

“Ramp backers believed there was a need for a new freeway exit because it would provide more direct access to bring people into downtown central Saginaw, providing access to St. Mary’s hospital, the Michigan CardioVascular Institute and downtown entertainment attractions such as the Temple Theatre and The Dow Event Center,” Richardson said.


SN: Unfortunately, it still won’t be perfect, but it will be a big improvement.


When complete, the project will include a new northbound I-675 exit off-ramp at Warren and a full, four-way interchange, new bridges at Fifth and Sixth streets, and a removal of the spans at Second and at Weadock.

“They also stressed the point of taking traffic, especially truck traffic, out of the neighborhoods and onto a main thoroughfare, as a matter of safety,” Richardson said.


SN: This is definitely a plus. Big rigs don’t belong in residential neighborhoods.

 

MDOT completed an I-675 and M-13 downtown Saginaw destination study and found that about $12 million would be needed to build a new ramp, Richardson said. A year later, then state Transportation Director Gloria Jeff assured U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee that MDOT would match any federal appropriations, Richardson said, and shortly after, Kildee secured $3.5 million for projects in Saginaw, including $2 million to be used to jump-start the ramp project.

In July 2005, Sen. Carl Levin and Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced a $10 million federal allotment for the project.

After funds were secured, MDOT in 2006 led forums with residents and leaders to discuss ways to achieve more direct access to Washington.

“Accessibility was of tremendous importance to tourism and business and was seen as a means of boosting Saginaw’s economy,” Richardson said.


SN: Let’s face it, given the city’s reputation for violence, outsiders coming downtown for entertainment or sporting events want a clear shot from the exit ramp to their final destination.

This will help achieve that objective. Coupled with efforts to improve public safety, and events to get more people downtown, let’s hope even more folks from around the county and elsewhere find their way into Saginaw.