'Ring road' to lighten area traffic

Construction of a "ring road" that will circle Mount Pleasant will lessen the congestion of north-south traffic on Mission Street, according to one city official.
"The goal of the ring-road system is to provide reasonable access in all directions in the urban area without over-taxing existing residential or minor-urban streets within the community," said City Planner Tony Kulick.
According to the 1990 Urban Area Traffic Master Plan, the ring road will consist of a four-lane roadway with curb and gutter. Turning lanes will be provided as required at intersections.

The road will provide east/west and north/south access around the existing urbanized boundaries of the community.
Boundaries are located on Pickard Road from Lincoln to Isabella roads, Isabella Road from Pickard to Broomfield roads; Broomfield Road from Isabella to Lincoln roads; and Lincoln Road from Broomfield to Pickard roads.

In the late 1980s, representatives from Mount Pleasant's Public Works, the Isabella County Road Commission and Union Township Board, decided to create a series of roads that would circle Mount Pleasant to cut down on the heavy north-south traffic on Mission Street, Kulick said.
"It will provide an alternate route in the north, south, east and west directions that will divert traffic," he said.
The ring road is scheduled for completion after Lincoln, Isabella, Broomfield and Pickard roads' improvements are finished, Kulick said.
The improvements will include widening the roads to four lanes and possibly adding traffic lights, Kulick said. Future driveways are also limited.
"It was assumed that these roads would be given high priority for maintenance and improvement," he said.
In the past eight years, portions of Pickard, Broomfield and Isabella roads have been widened to four lanes, Kulick said.
"Every couple of years, they've been picking off a chunk of ring road," he said.
This summer, the improvements on Isabella Road are slated for completion.
"The funding is in place to widen Isabella this summer," he said.
After the construction on Isabella Road is completed, only Lincoln Road and Pickard Street, from Crawford to Lincoln roads, will need improvements, Kulick said.
Kulick said the concept of the ring road makes sense.
"More and more growth is taking place in the county. That will put more pressure on completing the links in ring road."
Kulick said the construction and completion of the ring road would have no effect on CMU, but will probably improve traveling conditions for students, by minimizing congestion.