EASTPOINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Road construction plans in Eastpointe suddenly changed as the city reversed course on plans for a road diet on 9 Mile Road.
Back in February, city council approved a plan to reduce the road from five lanes to three lanes.
The change was approved during Tuesday night’s city council meeting after an email from the Michigan Department of Transportation told council that changing the number of lanes would result in a loss of funding.
The stretch of 9 Mile, essentially from Gratiot Avenue to I-94, has been a center of debate in Eastpointe as businesses like DeRonne Hardware have been actively voicing their disapproval of the road diet.
“That is just not feasible to shrink from five lanes to three lanes," said Derrone manager Christina Denomme. “Residents have said I'm going to avoid 9 Mile like the plague if it goes to three lanes because I don't want to deal with traffic."
DeRonne has called 9 Mile home for decades. Despite the earlier approval, the store continued to fight, hoping council would change course.
“It did seem far fetched, but we also always knew MDOT had the final say,” Denomme said.
“One line in just literally an email, we've gone now backward on this project,” Eastpointe Mayor Pro-tem Cardi Demonaco Jr. said.
Demonaco is referring to a Friday email from MDOT telling the city they could either keep five lanes or lose funding for the project. Council then voted Tuesday to reverse course on the road diet, while Demonoco was the only one who voted to keep it.
“I really want to do this project for the community because I think it will be so good for the community,” Demonaco said.
“A slight glimpse of hope," Denomme said of the vote. "It's still up in the air because as Mayor Klinefelt said last night, this is only phase two.”
Phase two is what was voted on and that runs from about Pleasant to Tuscany avenues, but Tuscany to I-94 is phase three. Phase three is where the hardware store is, and it's possible those plans could be changed.
“We know the fight's not over," Denomme said. "We’re still nervous.”
“Is the door still open for that third section to be three lanes instead of five?" 7 Action News reporter Brett Kast asked Demonaco. "Yes," he responded. "I believe so.”
Demonaco says he’s still pushing for traffic calming measures, trees and the potential for lane reduction in phase three, as business like DeRonne say they will keep pushing back.
“I'm hoping we can do things that can improve business — slowing down traffic, people walking more and biking more," Demonaco said. "It's been proven it's good for business.”
“We feel the battle is not done. It's just a small victory to get there,” Denomme said.
