CLAM LAKE TOWNSHIP — New changes in store for a busy intersection in Wexford County’s Clam Lake Township after a number of accidents that’s happened there over the years.
The public is invited to the Clam Lake Township Hall Friday at 5 p.m. to talk about the intersection of M-115 and Mackinaw Trail, with discussions centered on putting in a traffic light or roundabout.
Clam Lake Township Supervisor, Bill Benson, said steady traffic coupled with fast drivers makes that intersection difficult to navigate.
“Pretty much any weekend, it’s bad, but especially on holiday weekends. It’s just hard to get through period. People sit there long enough they’re going to take a chance and if you’ve been on M-115 before, people don’t drive very slow on it.,” said Benson.
He said it’s been an ongoing issue through the years.
“Any time there’s a bad accident, people get concerned about it, talk about it. Well, nothing gets done. Then it quiets down until, you know, somebody raises the concern again,” said Benson.
He said he was approached by Sherman township just south of them to see what they could do.
“They had a resident that witnessed the bad accident there. And that township uses that intersection to get in the Cadillac. So they’ve got a lot of residents that are concerned about that intersection,” said Benson.
M-DOT representatives will also be at the meeting to discuss their findings of their recent study focused on the M-115 corridor that looked at several intersections including Mackinaw Trail.
M-DOT communications representative, James Lake said the study indicates there have been 47 crashes over the last 10 years. 12 with injuries and one where a person was killed.
“The study indicated that this intersection meets what we refer to as warrants or standards that we’re looking for before we install a signal. These include things like traffic volumes, turning movements, delay at the sides of the intersection, as well as crash history,” said Lake.
M-DOT’s second choice would be installing a roundabout, but that would balloon the costs from $500,000 to $1million for a traffic signal to between $3 and $5 million for a roundabout.
Lake said it may be a few years for change because they need to find the funding first.
“We’re pursuing a signal at this point because it offers the greatest likelihood of being funded earlier,” said Lake.
Benson said representatives from State Senator Michelle Hoitenga and Michigan Representative Joseph Fox will also be in attendance. There will also be time to hear from residents about this issue as well.
“M-DOT people are going to be there, and we’re going to ask them to speak first, and then after that, we’ll. have people make comments or see what they would like to see done at that intersection, because it’s been of concern to the resident for a long time.
He said he’s happy something is finally being done after years of talk.
“We know they’re not going to change right now, but hopefully something will get done in the near future to at least slow the traffic down. You know, add some relief for people using that intersection,” said Benson.
Lake said other intersections identified in the study as possible locations of future traffic signals along M-115 include the intersections at the US 131 Northbound and Southbound ramps, North Boulevard, Division Street and Boon Road but no plans have been made to make changes yet.