Clyde Park Avenue - WKTV Journal

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Construction on the intersection of 54th Street and Clyde Park will start next week. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Drive along 54th Street near Clyde Park and you can’t help but notice the orange barrels that are out along the street.

Road construction officially starts in the City of Wyoming on April 3 as contractors have been staging to prepare the reconfiguration of the corner of 54th Street and Clyde Park Avenue.

In the planning stages for the past several years, the city finally received approval from the federal government to allow construction of an entrance/exit from southbound U.S. 131 to the Meijer, said Russ Henckel, assistant director for the city’s Department of Public Works.

“The federal government has a policy on a freeway egress being used for a private business,” Henckel said, adding it took time for the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve the placement of the pylons placement needed to reconfigure the ramps on and off I.S. 131.

The layout of the street. (Courtesy, City of Wyoming)

Goal is to Improve Traffic Flow

The design features an egress that allows traffic from U.S. 131 to turn right or left on 54th Street or head straight into Meijer. Those exiting Meijer would have the option of going right on 54th Street or straight on to southbound U.S. 131. Those wishing to go left out of Meijer will have to exit on to Clyde Park and then turn left at the intersection light. There will be a traffic light at the southbound U.S. 131 and 54th Street intersection as there is now.

The current entrance and exit from Meijer to 54th Street will be eliminated. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The northbound U.S, 131 on and off ramps will not be changed.

The current turn-in to Meijer from the westbound lane of 54th Street will be eliminated. The left turn lane on westbound 54th Street to southbound Clyde Park will be extended to help reduce the traffic from backing up into the westbound lane of 54th Street, Henckel said.

Also part of the project will be the resurfacing of Gezon Parkway from Byron Center to Clyde Park and 54th Street from Clyde Park to Division Avenue.

Other Projects

Also starting on April 3 is the resurfacing of Eastern Avenue from 28th Street to 44th Street.

On Jordan, Calhoun, Opal and Loraine, a waterman replacement project will be started the first week of April.

For an update on construction activities, visit wyomingmi.gov/ConstructionUpdates.

Work on 54th Street is causing some delays.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

If your travel plans include heading down 54th Street between Clyde Park and Division Avenue you might want to consider an alternate route for the next week or so.

According to Wyoming City officials, the work currently taking place along 54th Street is a gas line reconstruction. It is not a city project.

“Unfortunately, it is located under the eastbound lanes which will require them to take out both lanes of eastbound traffic,” said Russ Henckel, the city’s assistant director of public works/engineer.

The work is expected to take about a week, Henckel said.

This fall, the city will begin its work on 54th Street with plans to widen and add a lane to the westbound lane from about the Home Depot to U.S. 131 interchange. That work is expected to go through the July MDOT biding process and start in August.

The 54th Street bridge over U.S. 131 also will be widen as well along the north side to accommodate the additional lane, Henckel said. When that phase of the project will be started depends on the fabrication of the pillars and other requirements.

In 2020, the city will widen the eastbound lanes which is slated to include a direct expressway entrance into Meijer. Henckel said the city is working on the approvals necessary for that entrance.

For a list of upcoming road construction, projects, visit Public Works page on the City of Wyoming’s website, wyomingmi.gov.