The Northwestern Highway Connector Project.
LSL was a key member of a consultant team to evaluate potential improvements to the major arterials in the area. An extensive technical evaluation and public involvement effort resulted in the following recommendations:
- Modern roundabouts at many key intersections (Barry Croun, a renown roundabout designer from Great Britain was a member of the consultant team)
- A median along Orchard Lake Road
- Access Management
- Select widening along other corridors
- Pathways along all major roads
- Focus on context sensitive design and aesthetics
The award winning Orchard Lake Road Corridor Plan was the second LSL project for this area. Orchard Lake Road has developed with an intense mixture of uses, including many retail centers. Areas to the west have developed with primarily residential uses most of the traffic from this area is funneled along Orchard Lake Road to its intersection with I-696. As a result the corridors in the area have high crash rates and are heavily congested during peak hours. The overall area contains many high quality wetlands and other features that contribute to the character, but are also a constraint to potential road improvements.
This plan took the general design recommendations of the traffic study to the next level. Led by a committee of local and road agency representatives; the consultant team created a detailed corridor design plan. Specific recommendation are included for various segments of the corridor to reflect the personality of each- natural, urban, suburban. Design and form based guidelines are included for redevelopment sites. The project won awards from both the Michigan Association of Planning and American Society of Landscape Architects. |
