The project is a collaboration of the city, Wayne County Federal Aid Committee and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and is expected to take four to six months to complete, officials said.
Beverly Road has been a point of complaint in the community for many years, they said.
The two-lane road was worn down, severely damaged and had open ditches on either side. After multiple meetings and phone calls with residents, city officials approached the Wayne County Federal Aid Committee and MDOT in March 2019 to form a partnership to plan, implement and phase in a three-year reconstruction of Beverly Road from Merriman to Middlebelt. Romulus Public Works Department Roberto Scappaticci worked closely with both entities to obtain more than $3.6 million in funding, with the city contributing $1.5 million.“The reconstruction allows for necessary repairs on Beverly Road. The road's poor condition has disrupted area residents and businesses for many years,” said Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight. “We are committed to maintaining and improving our city's infrastructure, and we are proud to execute this long-anticipated project for the community.”
Phase one of the project started in May 2020 and included full reconstruction of 2000 feet of roadway from Middlebelt Road to Beverly Plaza. Phase two began in June 2021 and included reconstruction of approximately the next 2000 feet of road. The third and final stage began in April 29 this year and will include the reconstruction of the roadway from Merriman Road to 1,500 feet east.
The reconstruction is slated to take four to six months, officials said. Once complete, Beverly will go from a standard asphalt road to a Class A road and will feature a storm sewer, curb and a deep-strength cross-section. The project is the first of this kind to capitalize on federal funding and break construction into three phases with work done one mile at a time.
“The availability of federal funding and our partnership with Wayne County and the SEMCOG Federal Aid Committee were critical in the planning and implementation of the Beverly Road reconstruction,” said Scappaticci. “We plan to continue investing grant and federal funding as it becomes available to improve our city's infrastructure.”
Committed to the restoration and preservation of city infrastructure, Romulus has completed several road and sidewalk projects in recent years. In 2020, the city completed a sidewalk project on Van Born Road between Fourth Street and Washington Street, linking a dense residential area to the businesses on Wayne Road. Recent projects also include the Huron River Drive Pathway, a 10-foot-wide shared pathway running from the I-275 Metro Trail into downtown Romulus, and intersection improvements at Northline and Hannan roads.
