The Sheldon Road CSX crossing

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Locals wonder if underpass will come

By Brad Kadrich
Staff Writer

Wayne County officials are reportedly still saying the $10.6 million project to build a railroad underpass at the Sheldon Road CSX crossing in Plymouth Township is set to get off the ground this fall.

Local officials are more skeptical than ever, however, that the project, in the works for more than five years now, will ever get done. Without even an intergovernmental agreement in sight, they feel their skepticism is justified.

"The lawyers are still bouncing the intergovernmental agreement around," Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock said. "According to the county, CSX still hasn't signed onto the project."

At issue in terms of the agreement is locking in the amounts of money the township and city are going to have to pay. Several years ago, the township board agreed to pay just over $1 million, the city agreed to some $500,000 and the county was going to pay for the bulk of the project out of federal money earmarked specifically for that project. If the project doesn't get done, the county loses that money.

There have been several roadblocks. County officials had trouble acquiring all of the rights-of-way they needed along Sheldon, but they have now done so. One of the major issues right now is water to the area. There's a water main that will need to be moved in order to maintain water service, but the sides are disputing responsibility for such a move.

County officials couldn't be reached for comment.

According to Sincock, county officials have told the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department since the equipment belongs to them, they have to move it. Detroit water officials have refused, and now the county is considering suing.

"So the county is thinking about starting this major project by suing one of its primary participants," said Sincock, who said commissioners would discuss the issue at Monday's commission meeting.

At a project meeting two weeks ago to discuss utilities, city and township officials arrived to find representatives from Detroit Water, Consumers Energy and even the county's own engineering people didn't attend.

"It costs us money every time we do these meetings, because we have people there plus we're paying our engineers to be there, as is the township," Sincock said.

The project is scheduled to close Sheldon south of the underpass, with traffic north of it detoured to 5 Mile for some 23 months. More than 20,000 drivers use Sheldon daily.

Local officials, tiring of waiting for the county to get started, are looking at other things on which to spend the money, particularly if the price is going to rise.

"We back any improvements in the Plymouth Township community," township supervisor Richard Reaume said. "We originally put it in the budget at $1.026 million, and if we have to pay an increase, that's a budget-blower.

"We might be able to find the funds, although it would be hard for us because we have other projects planned," Reaume added. "We'd have to be robbing from those to pay any increase in the underpass."

http://www.hometownlife.com/Plymouth/Ne ... e=2/3/2005