There’s a lot going on in the city of Albion this year. Already many annual events have been held, connections between the community and the college are still in development and new features have been added to the town. Along with all of these advancements, another update is coming to Albion. Alongside the other construction occurring – like the new hotel and the expansion of the soccer fields at Albion College – roadwork will also be starting soon.
This project won’t start until the spring of 2017. However, the plan introduces something new to Albion.
Since the current bricks on Superior Street are beginning to crumble away, new bricks will be put in. The road for vehicles will also be sized down from four lanes to two to supplement the addition of a bicycle lane. Soon enough there will be one lane in either direction, a central turning lane and another lane reserved just for cyclists.
“Essentially it’s called a ‘road diet’ because […] it’s safer for vehicles as well as for pedestrians,” said City Manager Sheryl Mitchell.
With new and old restaurants moving downtown, and the hotel getting underway, the city has been trying to attract more people to what it has to offer. As construction begins for the new road system, the draw to Albion should hopefully increase by adding the pedestrian-friendly bicycle lanes and expanding bike trails
“We have been looking at how to be more friendly for biking and we’re working on the expansion of the trail to the national trail networks as well,” said Mitchell.
This project shouldn’t take too long either, as it will be wrapped up and finished by the end of fall of 2017. By then Albion’s brick roads will look stable and new, along with the completion of a bicycle lane for pedestrians.
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