Construction crew cut cables to downtown Ferndale traffic signal, confusion ensues
FERNDALE, Mich., (CBS DETROIT) – For more than a week, getting around downtown Ferndale hasn't been easy.
A construction crew cut power to the traffic lights at Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, impacting surrounding businesses on one of the warmest weeks we've had this year.
"A couple of days is one thing, but multiple weeks is unacceptable," Jon Hughes, owner of the Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop, said.
Hughes's business is a stone's throw away from the construction on Woodward Avenue.
He didn't think the mess was terrible until a crew accidentally clipped the cables to the intersection's traffic signal on April 7.
"They [customers] can't get here, you know, they just can't get here. I can only imagine how much other businesses are hurting to at least our customers are on bikes, so a lot of times they can ride a little bit," Hughes said.
According to the Executive Director of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority, Lena Stevens, electricians initially thought it would be an easy fix.
"They immediately started working with the hope that they could get it back up and running again. And that was before they really understood the extent of the problem, and once they truly understood, that's when we knew that it was going to take longer to fix," Stevens said.
The city had to shut down the intersection's sidewalk so people wouldn't walk through the construction zone.
In a series of updates on its Facebook page, the City of Ferndale suggested residents and visitors walk a few blocks north or south to get across Woodward Avenue.
However, some chimed in, saying that wasn't practical and suggested having an officer posted at the intersection
"There's not enough crime in Ferndale that they can't have two cops out there directing traffic until this light situation gets fixed, and then we, pedestrians, could cross traffic and get across. We could have somewhat normal business," Hughes said.
But the city said they don't have the resources to do that.
"We have to be cognizant of what we can do and what we can offer," Stevens said. "Sometimes, we can't take the pain away. You know, sometimes things like this in construction are going to hurt a little bit, they're going to be troublesome. And the best we can do is make sure that people know about it."
On Monday, there was some relief; the traffic lights came back on just before 2 p.m.
The construction is part of a project to improve Woodward Ave., including adding a bike lane and repaving the road.
The project is expected to wrap up in about six months.
