Sterling Heights to upgrade Clinton River Road, add more sidewalks in $10M project

Sterling Heights has been awarded a $7.4 million federal grant to revamp a busy portion of Clinton River Road from Hayes Road to Canal Road, reconstructing the road, closing sidewalk gaps and adding bike lanes or a non-motorized path.

Design work on the project will likely begin later this year on the project, which will stretch 4.5 miles. City officials say the road is "in pretty rough shape."

"It's well past its useful life, so it's definitely in need of improvement," said City Development Director Jason Castor.

Sterling Heights is receiving the grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of a six-bill package that Congress passed earlier this month. The city said in a news release that the allocated $7.4 million, combined with a city match of $2.6 million, will be dedicated to projects meant to enhance Clinton River Road.

Castor said the road is a major corridor for the city, and it spans from Clinton Township to Utica. The city said the road provides a direct connection for over 3,100 households to two high schools, four city parks, multiple bus routes, places of workshop and four non-motorized trail networks.

"Clinton River Road is a very heavily traveled road receiving not only residential traffic but also school traffic," Mayor Pro Tem Liz Sierawski said in a text message. "This makes it essential that we keep it in top condition."

Sierawski said she has heard complaints about the road, often due to the potholes, but sometimes due to the risk to students leaving Henry Ford II High School and to individuals traveling home.

Sterling Heights is planning to reconstruct Clinton River Road from Hayes Road to Canal Road ― which is over 4.5 miles. The reconstruction will improve pavement condition and roadway safety and includes the latest stormwater management techniques, the city said in the release.

Sterling Heights is also planning to fill sidewalk gaps and add mid-block crossings, which are crosswalks that aren't located at a traffic signal. The Michigan Department of Transportation is also working with the city of Sterling Heights on a separate project, which will add a sidewalk to the Clinton River Road bridge over M-53.

Castor said the city is looking to add a non-motorized component to Clinton River Road ― either bike lanes or a separated trail. The city will also add in landscaping and make sure traffic signals are up-to-date.

Castor said the city could likely start and complete design work on the project by the end of the year, and then start construction in 2025. Those dates are very approximate, though, as city officials still need to talk through the project design and timeframe.

asnabes@detroitnews.com