Mt. Clemens, MI - Officials from Macomb County, the Macomb County Department of Roads (MCDR), and the cities of Sterling Heights and Warren – joined by government, business and community leaders – celebrated the groundbreaking of the $217 million Innovate Mound project.
Additional information and construction details were shared with the public at Innovate Mound 301, a community open house hosted by Macomb County and project partners.
The multi-year project, which began in mid-August, will reconstruct approximately nine miles of the Mound Road corridor with work phased over four construction seasons. Once completed, the new Mound Road will strengthen the region and enhance connectivity by incorporating state-of-the-art design and smart technology to create a modern corridor that will serve all users.
“Innovate Mound has reached an important milestone and showcases what can be accomplished when multiple levels of government work together to improve their community,” said Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel. “The magnitude and impact of Innovate Mound is unlike any other local project in the U.S. Macomb County, along with our project partners, are making a significant investment in Mound Road and the future of the region.”
MCDR personnel and the Innovate Mound project team shared updated details on the project, provided construction information and answered questions from the public at Innovate Mound 301. The open house was the third installment of community outreach to engage the public as part of the ongoing project.
“Mound Road is one of the most important corridors in southeast Michigan that connects people, communities and commerce,” said Bryan Santo, director of the Macomb County Department of Roads. “We’re building a high-quality, long-lasting roadway that will incorporate the future of mobility and technology to create a modern, efficient and reliable corridor that will serve our community for decades to come.”
Construction of Mound Road, which began in mid-August, will include new pavement, drainage, curbs and driveways, traffic signal optimization, roadway widening, connected vehicle and fiber optic communications technology, enhanced non-motorized facilities, and energy-efficient lighting. Work is underway in Sterling Heights between 14 Mile Road and M-59, which includes temporary widening of the median in both directions to allow for two lanes of traffic for 2022 construction, municipal water and sewer utility work, and widening of the Mound Road bridges over Plum Brook Creek.
“Sterling Heights is an innovative and progressive community, so the world-class technology being embedded into the Innovate Mound project and the model it will create for the future of mobility is perfectly aligned with our city’s vision,” said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. “Mound Road is one of the highest profile industrial corridors in the state of Michigan and the lifeline for many of our area businesses, particularly those in the manufacturing and defense sectors. With tens of billions in imports and exports moving through this corridor every year, the Innovate Mound project will have a massive positive impact on the economy not only in Sterling Heights, but in Warren, Macomb County and southeast Michigan.”
In 2016, more than 100 business and community leaders came together to support a long-term solution for Mound Road and build a next-generation corridor of innovation. A federal grant application was submitted in 2017, a collaborative effort spearheaded by leaders from the state, county, local governments and businesses. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) selected the joint application by Macomb County and the cities of Sterling Heights and Warren for a $98 million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant that is funded by Congress.
"The Innovate Mound project demonstrates what cities, working in partnership with Macomb County, can do to further enhance our transportation roadways through a combination of collaboration and cooperation,” said Warren Mayor James Fouts. “There is nothing too big or too small that we cannot achieve success with. This innovative project will only help to increase the likelihood of new businesses cropping up along Mound Road and with the new downtown in Warren, this will be a welcome enhancement to our community. We’re proud to be a partner on this important project."
A construction schedule, project details and additional information can be found online at innovatemound.org. Subscribe to the Innovate Mound newsletter to receive project updates delivered directly to your email inbox and follow the project on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and information.