Julie Brown, Special Writer
Not only is that work under way, but major roads are also being upgraded.
During a July 27 Canton Board of Trustees presentation, trustees asked questions about millage and repair plans through 2026. Director of Municipal Services Jade Smith noted the plans are posted on the roads page of the township website.
Smith said the township is working with Wayne County and with the Michigan Department of Transportation: “Obviously, that comes down to funding opportunities.”
Bill Serchak of the township engineering department noted the Ford Road Boulevard construction will start in 2024 “at the earliest,” and getting detour routes around Ford in good shape is important.
Serchak also outlined several key intersections slated for improvement, including a potential roundabout at Saltz-Denton-Ridge. There has been resistance to roundabouts in Wayne County, he said, and this would be the first in the county.
Smith emphasized the importance of getting road bids out in winter to “hit the ground running.” The two projects tentatively slated for 2022 are Canton Center Road, from Ford to Warren, and Warren, from Haggerty to Lilley, at a total cost of $4,500,000.
“There's a lot of work to do,” said Serchak, who cautioned during his outline of repairs set for years three through five, that road projects are sometimes rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. Trustees unanimously accepted the report, with Treasurer Dian Slavens absent.
“The residents are going to be able to see what's coming up next,” Trustee Sommer Foster said of the web element. In talking about quality of work, Clerk Michael Siegrist said, “I'm definitely more interested in making sure the repair work is done right.”
In other business that evening, board members unanimously approved a new deputy supervisor position. It will pay $60,000 a year with $33,000 for fringe benefits, and be non-elected.
The board indicated there's a candidate in mind who would likely start work in late summer. The new role, to assist the township supervisor, follows an independent organizational assessment recommendation.
