GRANDVIEW PARKWAY REBUILD: Westbound traffic to reopen soon; new signal tech to help traffic flow

Peter Kobs, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·3 min read
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Jun. 21—TRAVERSE CITY — The massive Grandview Parkway rebuild in downtown Traverse City is about a week ahead of schedule, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Sources were saying that westbound traffic from Garfield Avenue could start flowing as early as Thursday night, June 20, but might be delayed a few days by rain in the area.

"We need a dry surface to lay down the road markings," said Nick Broad, project manager for Team Elmer's. "Moisture interferes with how the paint adheres to the pavement, so we hope it stops spitting rain soon. Our paint trucks are all ready, but ultimately God is still in charge of the weather."

Once the westbound lane is open, motorists will be able to travel in both directions on the existing Grandview Parkway as before. Road construction will then pause for the National Cherry Festival, which runs June 29 through July 6.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Parkway construction will resume on Monday, July 8, when work crews will start replacing the old parkway pavement in two main stages:

First, one side of the divided highway will be open while the other side is closed. Then work will switch to the opposite side until the overall project is completed at the intersection with Division Avenue.

Two-way traffic on Grandview Parkway will continue on the north or south sides, although with only one lane in each direction. No vehicle types will be restricted, MDOT officials said.

The projected completion date for the entire $24.7 million parkway rebuild is November 2024.

"It's definitely feels good to be finishing this segment ahead of our deadline," said Lucas Porath, an MDOT cost and scheduling engineer. "We've had amazing cooperation from the city, road commission and local businesses."

Some new road elements will be apparent once westbound traffic resumes, including a small median island just west of Peninsula Drive. Shaped like an elongated seed pod, it will serve as a "pedestrian refuge" for people walking across the roadway.

Drivers also will notice a new protected left turn onto Peninsula Drive, a feature many motorists have been requesting for years to help relieve traffic bottlenecks.

The existing traffic signals at the intersection of East Front Street and Grandview Parkway will remain until new cross arms and updated signals are installed on large metal "masts" there.

Ultimately, the crossing will function more like a traditional "T" intersection than the current hybrid model that allows a continuous left turn for westbound vehicles onto the parkway.

NEW SIGNALING TECHNOLOGY

To improve traffic flow, MDOT is deploying a new software-based system called "SCOOT" on state roadways in the area.

SCOOT stands for "Split Cycle Offset Optimization Technique." The entire U.S. 31 signal system from Acme to Greilickville and Grandview Parkway to South Airport Road is now connected and coordinated by the interactive system, which responds dynamically to changes in traffic volume, officials said.

"SCOOT constantly monitors traffic volumes and progression, and then makes instant adjustments based on changes in traffic," Porath noted. "Our MDOT transportation engineers (also) monitor the performance of SCOOT and make adjustments as necessary to ensure the best overall system progression."

"You may find yourself waiting at a red light for a few extra seconds with no traffic on the side streets because of what is happening with traffic in other areas of the corridor," he said.

Developed by German technology giant Siemens AG in partnership with various government agencies, SCOOT systems are now installed in more than 200 locations worldwide.

SCOOT's impact on traffic flow is quite positive, according to a study published by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For example, StreetLight Data conducted a SCOOT traffic study along Ann Arbor's Ellsworth Corridor, a 2-mile stretch just a few miles south of the University of Michigan South Campus and Michigan Stadium.

After the SCOOT system was installed, drivers saw an average of 21 percent savings in end-to-end travel times during weekends, and a 12 percent savings on weekdays.