M-59 Widening Project Reaches Halfway Point
Area leaders gathered on the freshly-poured concrete of the M-59 widening project in Oakland county Wednesday to celebrate the halfway mark of its completion. The project widens M-59 between Crooks and Ryan Roads to three lanes and is expected to save drivers an estimated $390 dollars a year in fuel and repairs.
The event in the middle of the newly rebuilt westbound lanes of M-59 at Crooks Road in Rochester Hills was to showcase the benefits of the federal recovery act.
Greg Johnson, of the Michigan Department of Transportation, said the stimulus-backed project creates a quicker commute and new jobs.
"I think it's a great day, the sun is shining, we're standing on a brand new pavement that in a week or so folks will have access to," Johnson said.
"You ought to consider the ripple effect this will have on the local economy and, of course, Michigan's economy, generally," said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez.
Officials said the project was on the shelf for a decade and could have been set back another 10 years without stimulus funding.
Lieutenant Governor John Cherry said the benefits are also for all of Michigan.
"Thanks to the recovery act investment we'll make travel safer and more efficient on the crucial M-59 corridor while putting more than 1,700 Michigan citizens to work," Cherry said.
The project is expected to be completed in mid-November.
