Costco update: Road improvements tied to proposed store in Pittsfield Township
Several road improvements are on the horizon on State Street, Airport Boulevard, Lohr Road and Ellsworth Road if the Costco warehouse store and gas station is approved by Pittsfield Township officials.
At Wednesday’s Washtenaw County Road Commission meeting, Matt MacDonell, a professional engineer for the Road Commission, said Costco representatives and staff are finalizing a road improvement agreement for changes near the planned store, as well as a contribution of $500,000 for a future agreement between the Road Commission and the City of Ann Arbor for the State Street and Ellsworth Road intersection. The Costco warehouse and gas station is planned for a site in Pittsfield Township on Ellsworth Road west of State.
Planners from the township are expected to discuss a request for rezoning of the site on Thursday night as it deliberates on master plan revisions.
Among the proposed road improvements at State Street, Airport Boulevard and Research Park intersection are:
- Eliminating the direct left turns onto State Street from both Airport Boulevard and Research Park Drive.
- Modifying the existing traffic signal and constructing two-lane boulevard crossovers on both Airport Boulevard and Research Park Drive.
- The western most southbound through lane on State Street will be turned into a right-turn lane at the Airport Boulevard intersection for traffic turning westbound.
- The easternmost southbound lane will be widened to provide two through southbound lanes and one right-turn lane at the Airport Boulevard intersection.
- Pedestrian crossings will be added at all legs of the intersection.
On Airport Boulevard, where there are a number of driveways:
- Airport Boulevard between Ellsworth Road and State Street will be reconfigured as a three-lane road with new road striping.
- A 10-foot-wide shared-use pathway on the east/south side of Airport Boulevard along the Costco street frontages will be constructed.
- A new traffic signal at the intersection, with pedestrian push buttons and American Disabilities Act compliant sidewalk/pathway ramps for all four corners of the intersection.
- The existing auxiliary westbound right-turn lane and paved shoulder will be extended on Ellsworth Road for motorists turning northbound at the Airport Boulevard intersection.
- Restriping of the road on the south approach of the Airport Boulevard intersection to include room for a left-turning car.
At the Lohr and Ellsworth roads intersection:
- A northbound auxiliary right-turn lane will be constructed on Lohr Road at the Ellsworth Road intersection for traffic turning eastbound.
- The exisiting Lohr Road left-turn lane will be extended.
- At the I-94-State Street interchange, the existing signal at the exit ramp will be widened and modified.
Comments
russellr
Fri, Apr 22, 2011 : 1:04 a.m.
This is great news. Does anybody know what happened about Menard's trying to go in on Carpenter. I haven't read or seen anything in quite awhile. Thank you
karla765
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
"Eliminating the direct left turns onto State Street from both Airport Boulevard and Research Park Drive." This is going to make it backups even worse. Eliminating two lanes of traffic turning left/North onto State from Airport Boulevard and making everyone turn right/South to perform a "Michigan left" through a median on State street that is already packed with cars both ways; I really can't see this working at all. I picture all the cars turning right(South) from Airport Boulevard onto State and cutting off traffic that is already going South on State, then not being able to move because of all the traffic already going North-bound on State. This seems like total gridlock.
Dalex64
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
That bit shouldn't be too bad, as long as they do it like it has been done at Jackson and Zeeb. you can't turn left from Zeeb to Jackson (either direction) but the Michigan left has a traffic light, stopping jackson traffic. That way, you don't have to fit your car into a hole, like you do now, using the michigan left to go to airport blvd/research park.
DaLast word
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 1:13 p.m.
I beleive they must widden Ellsworth, west of state to 4 lanes and widden Lohr to three or four lanes, north of Ellsworth which should take some of the heat off state. Also consider closing the I-94 exit at State and moving it to Platt at Ellsworth, where there is still room.
Dobsonion
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 11:42 a.m.
This plan does NOTHING to address the #1 traffic backup problem in that area - State Street at the airport. Anyone traveling northbound at quitting time (5pm) knows that there's a huge backup. It will only get worse.
HRH
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 10:41 a.m.
Hey I thought they were planning to build a cycle pathway at the lohr/Ellsworth northbound junction. Is there going to be space for that AND a right hand turn lane? Furthermore, aren't there potential plans afoot to extend the ann arbor airport runway, also hugely impacting the state street/ellsworth junction? This area sounds like it is not only going to be chaotic, but also will pose a huge safety risk to all the new road users from those bigger jets that are bound to use the airport when/if the runway extension gets approved. Please note that this decision will be made by the Ann Arbor city council and not Pittsfield township.
InsideTheHall
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 10:28 a.m.
Oh my, traffic because a business is attracting customers. Customers who spend their money on products and services that create what????????? J-O-B-S! We could use a little traffic in these parts.
nunya
Wed, May 4, 2011 : 3:23 a.m.
I have no problem with the business and more jobs! Just a little problem with the a traffic plan that is suppose to improve the added load and instead makes it worse even if there was no Costco
David Briegel
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 3:36 a.m.
All of this is good but it will still be a parking lot at rush hour because I-94 is 4 lanes instead of 6. The ramps backup onto both State and the freeway!
Mike R
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 3:07 a.m.
I agree with the idea to use roundabouts. Roundabouts are clearly an efficient and proven method to keep traffic moving. Once people who are unfamiliar with them get used to them, they will appreciate their function and come to like them. I hope the township officials pay attention and ensure that the road improvements are sufficient. I think that the addition of Costco will help jumpstart the redevelopment of that whole area. It sure is sad to see the deterioated Ellsworth & State area. While I'm at it, I believe that State Street from Ellsworth to Eisenhower needs to be blown up and reconstructed. The horrible asphat median on State betwee I-94 and Eisenhower is a huge waste of space. The median is nearly as wide as the all of the driving lanes, its an eyesore, inefficient, and its impossible to turn around. I always wonder what the engineers were thinking (or not) when they designed State Street in that area.
Ann English
Fri, Apr 22, 2011 : 12:24 a.m.
I often see pedestrians crossing State Street between Eisenhower and I-94; the wide median helps them. "Impossible to turn around"? You mean like the prohibition of U-turns from northbound State Street just south of Red Robin? The prohibition makes southbound State Street traffic safer.
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 4:44 a.m.
I can't envision all of what you are saying here except understanding that the entire stretch of Ellsworth to Eisenhower on State needs major help. I agree that roundabouts are a great solution but people need to understand the rules. The one in Ypsi at Huron and Stoney Creek (?) seems to work really well. It saves idling gasoline usage and emissions too.
nunya
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 1:27 a.m.
There are already two left turn lanes from Airport to North bound State Street. A lot of this traffic is coming off of Ellsworth because there are too many cars trying to turn left from Ellsworth to State Street. If they eliminate direct left turns onto State and force a Michigan left, I think it will cause more congestion. Also, State is already heavy going southbound at that spot. Costco will add to it. Adding one lane is probably necessary even now.
WhyCan'tWeBeFriends
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 4:40 a.m.
If I understand correctly, Costco is before the left onto State. I am more concerned about the dangerous 94 onto State Street entrance from west 94 exiting to State St. south. A nightmare of last-minute decisions.
A2Realilty
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 1:03 a.m.
I agree with Anthony Clark's comment. I would also like to see a roundabout considered. The density of the traffic signals that are popping up along Ellsworth is too much for traffic.
Anthony Clark
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 12:41 a.m.
Sounds like a great project for the area. All the road changes make perfect sense, though I would prefer to see a roundabout at Ellsworth and Airport Boulevard. I know most people hate them, but they really do allow traffic to flow better. The last thing we need along that stretch of Ellsworth is another red light to wait for.