Potential improvements coming to the Zeeb Road corridor/I-94 interchange and bridge

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A look down Zeeb Road near Pratt.

It’s still early in the process, but talk has started inside Scio Township hall about potential improvements to the North Zeeb Road corridor and I-94 interchange and bridge.

To get this talk into a more serious place, the Scio Township Board approved using up to $35,000 to pay for work by consultants that will support the preliminary planning for the proposed improvements.

Scio Township Supervisor Will Hathaway said this agreement is for advising and support work associated with the potential improvements.

The agreement will be for an “As-needed Engineering Services” contract with OHM Advisors, which has submitted a proposal for concept engineering and preliminary engineering design assistance for the N. Zeeb Road Corridor and support to coordinate efforts that would help scope and address funding opportunities with stakeholder parties.

In his report to the township board, Hathaway said the township is working together with state and county agencies on potential improvements to this area of Zeeb, which has a high traffic volume.

“These improvements are intended to address ongoing automobile and pedestrian safety issues,” he said. “By investing in support from township engineering and planning consultants up front, the township has the opportunity to engage other partners in this major transportation project.”

In follow up after the meeting, Hathaway told The Sun Times News they approved the allocation of funds, but there was some discussion about which funds to use.

He said the decision on March 9 was to draw from the General Fund for this particular work, but to also look more closely at how this project is treated in the 2021-22 budget that is currently being formulated.

He said the funding questions going forward are: whether the DDA should contribute towards this expense because the area is within the DDA, and to what degree this project is part of the proposed pathway network and therefore an item covered by the recently approved Parks and Pathways Millage.

In its proposal, OHM gave its understanding of the project:

“Scio Township desires to continue recent efforts to look at alternatives and develop a preliminary engineering plan to move forward with an initial geometric road and pedestrian corridor improvements along N. Zeeb Road between Jackson Road to the south and Pratt Road to the north. Recent efforts need additional attention in order to approach the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and other critical stakeholders. It is believed that various tasks, including a full traffic impact study, will need to commence in order to help advance conversations regarding exploration of appropriate funding opportunities. It is our understanding that, as the Township engineer, the Township wishes to engage OHM Advisors to help with the Township needs as well as facilitate discussions and “next steps” with the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) and MDOT. This collaboration is necessary to build upon previous studies and identify the best path forward.”

OHM said further on that, “Based on an MDOT-style, high-level planning estimate process ($1.8 M/lane-mile) the cost of these road and pedestrian improvements could range from $3.5 million to $4.0 million. This is a very preliminary opinion of construction cost and would need to be further refined as the design process progresses.”

Hathaway said part of the challenge with this is that they are working to move this project forward rapidly so that it might be considered for funding by the State. He said the legislature's budget process, like the township's, is already underway.

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