I am wondering what effect the new drain system and the small lake will have on this area? I am hoping that they will help to stop flooding, I think it would be beneficial to build a better drain system under the road or by building an elevated roadway so the water could flow under. At my cabin several years ago the state built a new culvert drain then elevated and paved that section of road, this was to stop dirt and dust from the former dirt road and low bridge from getting into the trout stream that flows behind the cabin and into the AuSable River. I think this small section of Kalamazoo Street runs through three different municipalities, that is part of the problem in this area I am sure. I have also read where there are old-growth trees still standing in that swamp, it would be cool to have a boardwalk pathway through there so we could visit those trees.
Looks like the city planted a bunch of trees along the south side of Marshall Park, running along Saginaw highway. It's going to take a while but it should make that area much nicer with the added shade. Here is to hoping people don't vandalize and pull out the trees and give them time to grow!
Yeah, they're really moving quickly on this project. I always wished they'd incorporate some better decorative elements, particularly as 496 runs through Lansing proper. Like maybe a 3-6' retaining wall along this section to better separate the grassy, wooded hillsides. And some large automotive themed signs and sculptures along the median to highlight Lansing's manufacturing history, especially as 496 runs right by the GM plant that's been there in some form for 100+ years.
I'm guessing that they're close to switching sides, I noticed them setting up the electronic signs (reading just dots right now) and tons of barrels along the sides of the westbound lanes.
I was hoping they will do something with the landscaping too. In Detroit, they landscaped the rebuilt parts of I-96 [I could be wrong on the highway number] very nicely with nice-looking walls, large plantings of shrubs and trees near overpasses, and exits. I think it would be very cool if they planted hundreds of trees along the ground level medians from Grand Ave to Clare Street, this would beautify the corridor help reduce pollution and noise, and make bordering properties more valuable. I have had this idea of an outdoor art project that would illuminate the line of the huge steel power poles that now line the south side of the highway with solar-powered lights. The poles are really ugly as they are but lit up at night they could be sculptural and interesting to look at. Lights changing for the seasons or promoting a cause or event could change ugly to beautiful, kind of like how people feel about the three stacks. Just dreaming!
LANSING – If your commute involves the western half of Interstate 496, your daily driving routine is about to change.
The freshly paved eastbound lanes between Lansing Road and Interstate 96 are set to open Monday as construction crews prepare to shift their work to the other side of the freeway, the Michigan Department of Transportation said.
The westbound lanes will be closed beginning Thursday, July 23, with traffic detoured onto Lansing Road, MDOT said. The ramps at Interstate-96, Creyts Road and Waverly Road also will be closed.
Even though the eastbound lanes will be open next week, the ramp from westbound I-96 to eastbound I-496 will remain closed until the week of July 27, officials said.
BTW, I imagine you see so few trees in the median of an urban freeway because they could easily become road hazards, as would the leaves in the fall, unless you could find a variety of tree small enough that if it fell or was pushed over it wouldn't obstruct a traffic lane.
Comments
BTW, I imagine you see so few trees in the median of an urban freeway because they could easily become road hazards, as would the leaves in the fall, unless you could find a variety of tree small enough that if it fell or was pushed over it wouldn't obstruct a traffic lane.