Eastpointe officials await MDOT decision on 9 Mile design; GI meeting scheduled

Eastpointe city officials said they have submitted both a three‑lane and a five‑lane design for the 9 Mile Road reconstruction and expect a decision after a grama inspection meeting being scheduled for August. Council and staff said they will present the final design to council after that meeting so the project can be bid over the winter.

The discussion matters because the two designs carry different traffic and safety tradeoffs and affect construction timing. Public commenters repeatedly urged clearer timelines and raised concerns that reducing lanes on 9 Mile would divert traffic onto nearby residential streets.

Resident Mike Lamau told the council he was uncertain about the project’s phase sequencing and traffic assumptions and said, "I would hope that knowing what the auto count was, 21,000, and it's questionable, I understand." He pressed the council for a public meeting format where all residents could attend if a road diet were under consideration.

Resident Jennifer Nicholas said she had asked about the schedule at earlier meetings and described confusion over the project's timeline and the traffic study findings. She said, "my understanding was that tentatively, the engineers need to finalize the design by July 2025 in order to complete the specifications and put the project out for bid, ensuring it meets the completion deadline. The project funds need to be used by December 2026. Is that still the same timeline?" She also raised concerns that a road diet would shift traffic onto streets such as Stevens and Topher.

In the administration report, an AEW representative said both designs were submitted for the grama inspection meeting and that the city was "in the process of scheduling that meeting." He said the meeting was expected in August and that, once held, he would present the approved design to council so the city could finalize plans and solicit bids for construction the following winter.

Council members noted the project has also gone through an environmental review, that MDOT had encouraged submission of the three‑lane design as part of the inspection process, and that both options remained on the table. Several council members and commenters urged clear public outreach and an in‑person forum for broader citizen input if a road diet is recommended.

Council did not take a formal vote on the 9 Mile project at the meeting. Staff said next steps are to complete the grama inspection meeting, report the agency decision to council, present the chosen design, and proceed to finalize specifications for bidding.

Residents and council members said they will watch for the staff presentation after the inspection meeting and for public notices announcing any design selection and subsequent public forum.