MONROE, MI — The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments recently awarded more than $10.7 million to 10 projects across Southeast Michigan.
“SEMCOG’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) — one of our most impactful programs — enables us to provide direct funding into communities to improve safety for all road users, connect our regional trails and greenways, and improve access to key destinations like schools, parks, and jobs,” said Amy O’Leary, executive director of SEMCOG.
Monroe was one of the 10 recipients, receiving $861,832 for a 0.8-mile combination of new bike lanes, sidewalks, and shared-lane markings, connecting Monroe Street with Monroe Charter Township.
The section of road that the project addresses is the LaPlaisance Road corridor between Bolles Harbor and Jones Avenue.
Monroe received $861,832 for a 0.8-mile combination of new bike lanes, sidewalks, and shared-lane markings, connecting Monroe Street with Monroe Charter Township.
“This section was chosen not only because of its poor road condition, but also because it gave the city an opportunity to fix the challenging intersection at Jones and LaPlaisance,” said Patrick Lewis, Monroe’s director of engineering and public services. “These improvements helped make the project a strong candidate for federal funding.”
According to Lewis, completing this stretch of Jones Avenue will connect to the city’s existing network of bike and pedestrian paths. It will include bike lanes on the road and five-foot sidewalks on both sides between Monroe Street and LaPlaisance Road.
In addition to the grant from SEMCOG, the city will use more than $600,000 in federal funds and more than $1 million in local funds to complete the project.
“From the start, the city emphasized the need to fix the complex intersection at Jones, LaPlaisance, and Navarre,” Lewis said. “The new design will improve traffic flow, make it easier for trucks to navigate, and naturally slow vehicles to safer speeds. All of this supports the goal of making the area safer and more accessible for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices.”
The Jones Avenue project is likely to be built in 2026.
“Because the project includes changes to the roadway layout, it needs to go through an in-depth review process required for federally funded projects,” Lewis said. “That process affects the overall schedule.”
The project marks the first phase of a long-term effort to connect transportation users in the City of Monroe to Lake Erie at Bolles Harbor.
— You can reach Connor Veenstra at cveenstra@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe road project offers new lanes for those without cars