MDOT Hosting Meeting to Discuss Fort Street Project

The Michigan Department of Transportation is hosting a community meeting on Tuesday to give people an update on the $40 million Fort Street reconstruction project.

The meeting is open to the public and is set from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Recreation Department inside Riverview City Hall, 14100 Civic Park Drive. It will be open house-style, where state officials will be on hand to answer questions.

When completed, the project will have reconstructed Fort between Sibley and Goddard. The work spans five cities–Lincoln Park, Riverview, Southgate, Trenton and Wyandotte.

The first phase, which is under way now, is rebuilding the inside two lanes in both directions from Goddard to Pennsylvania. The second phase, which is slated to get under way in July, will switch to the two right lanes in both directions.

With that change coming up, MDOT officials are encouraging business owners in the affected area to come to Tuesday's meeting to find out how the roadwork will impact their business.

"There will be some disruption of service ... so we really want to talk to them about access to their businesses during the construction so they'll know who to call to get any issues worked out right away," MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi said.

When the stretch from Goddard to Pennsylvania is completed, the project will then move from Pennsylvania to Sibley. All work is set to be finished in the fall of 2013.

during the construction project to encourage people to continue to frequent businesses along Fort Street even though getting to them is a bit of a headache due to the lane closures.

The two cities are trying to deliver that message through signs on marquees and message boards in the Fort Street median.

“They are going to pay the price short term," Southgate Mayor Joseph Kuspa said at a recent Wyandotte City Council meeting. "We urge all of our Downriver residents to support those businesses on Fort Street."