Extending the I-275 Bike Path North
The current northern end of the I-275 bike path
Yesterday we did some preliminary scouting with MDOT for a possible extension of the I-275 Bike Path.
This extension would begin at the current north end of the I-275 path at Meadowbrook Road, just south of I-96. The route would continue north and eventually head east to be within the M-5 corridor.
It would intersect the old Coe Railroad, which should hopefully become Oakland Counties next big rails to trails conversion. It would also intersect 13 Mile and 14 Mile Roads — both popular east-west road bike routes.
The extension would end at Pontiac Trail. From here one could continue north on the trails planned for Martin Road before heading west and picking up the Lakes Community Trail.
There are no shortage of challenges for building this trail. From wetlands to steep rolling hills, it’s going to take some smart design to keep the price tag reasonable, but MDOT is committed to getting it done.
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Tags: Huron Valley Trail, I-275, Lakes Community Trail, MDOT, Trails, West Bloomfield Trail
October 1st, 2008 at 9:18 am
I’m all for this as I’m originally from that part the county and love the Commerce Twp. lakes area, but where do things stand currently for the municipalities to maintain the existing part of the trail? Granted, I’ve not been part of any of the groups to help with the cleanup efforts yet since I’m not around much on weekends so I can’t really complain much. However, it seems that the county/state should work to make some decisions and commitments on the rest of the trail as well before extending it and then potentially abandoning it.
October 1st, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Trail maintenance is perhaps the biggest issue concerning all trails in Michigan. I know the MDOT Metro Region is working diligently to undo the decades of not performing maintenance on the I-275 pathway. The original plan from the 1970s was to build the trail and let the local communities maintain it. They didn’t. MDOT is now committed to maintaining the trail just as they do on their roads. But at the same time it’s up to us, the users, to assist and make sure the job gets done.