Farmington's streetscape plan begins next week, closing major downtown road for months

Shelby Tankersley
Hometownlife.com
In preparation for a complete overhaul of Farmington Road in downtown Farmington, the city removed dozens of small trees just south of Grand River Avenue.

The stretch of Farmington Road in downtown Farmington isn't anywhere near as pretty as the rest of the downtown area on Grand River Avenue is. 

As the city looks to bring more visitors to its downtown area, officials hope a redo of Farmington Road's streetscape will make it more attractive and friendlier to pedestrians. 

Weather permitting, crews are expected to start working on Farmington Road between Alta Loma Drive and Orchard Street on Monday, June 6. The project will eventually stretch to Grand River Avenue and should last through the fall. Drivers won't have access to the impacted area until work is completed.

Creating a 'different feel'

Officials want Farmington Road to look and feel more like the rest of the downtown area. By the time the project is finished, people can expect the stretch to look more like Grand River Avenue. 

"This is going to fill in the missing gap," said Austin Downie, an engineer with OHM Advisors, during an informational meeting on the project Wednesday night. "This will match those other elements you see (downtown) and create a better aesthetic."

As it readies for a major revamping of its downtown city streetscaping, Farmington has removed dozens of small trees along Farmington Road just south of Grand River Ave.

Because this is a streetscape project, the sidewalks will be completely rebuilt along with the roads. Once work is finished, Farmington Road will have benches, bicycle racks, disability-friendly crosswalks, light posts and raised planters along its sidewalks. 

People can expect temporary sidewalk closures throughout the course of the project. But, the businesses in the affected area will be able to maintain their normal hours of operation. 

A new traffic flow

On the road itself, the lanes will go down from two each way to one each way with the addition of several parking bump outs and a pedestrian island. 

The new design will make foot travel safer. 

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"We want to bring more people into the area," Downie said. "With more people comes more safety measures, and we identify traffic as a safety issue."

Farmington has secured a $1 million federal grant for the project, and the city and Downtown Development Authority will split the remaining $3 million through purchasing bonds. Throughout the duration of the project, OHM Advisors plans to have at least one person on site at all times to address questions or concerns. 

By the time it's finished, Farmington Road will have a completely different look. 

"There’s going to be a different feel to it," Downie said.

Contact reporter Shelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com or 248-305-0448. Follow her on Twitter @shelby_tankk