Grants from the Michigan Department of Transportation will help improve the "walkability" of the Dexter area.
A partnership including the village, Dexter Community Schools and the Chelsea-area Wellness Foundation is receiving about $225,000 to help close gaps in the community's sidewalks.
Village Manager Donna Dettling says there are good routes from most sub-divisions to Dexter Schools, but a few problem areas were identified in developing the safe routes to school planning document. Dettling says they hope to finalize designs and identify a contractor this winter, so construction on sidewalks and other projects can begin in the spring. She says the community is thrilled with the M-DOT funding and the planning work done through a great collaboration gave Dexter an enormous benefit.
The scope of the grant includes:
• Installation of sidewalk on the east side of Baker Road from the Baker crossing located at the School Access Road south to Dan Hoey Road along St. Joseph Cemetary. A 14-foot pedestrian refuge island will be built at the Baker Street crossing north of the SAR and will bring the traffic lanes to 11 feet.
• A sidewalk will be built linking an existing walkway on the northeast edge of St. Joseph Cemetery to the Dexter school property.
• A sidewalk will be constructed on the south side of Dan Hoey Road from west of Lexington Road to the east edge of the Dapco Industries driveway. At the east edge of the Dapco Industries driveway, a pedestrian crossing
