Pontiac City Council is set to discuss a resolution to support a $19 million project that would convert the Woodward Avenue loop into a two-way street.

A 2014 livability study of Pontiac’s downtown found that opening a portion of the five-lane loop that encircles its business district would bring more foot traffic to the area. The project has seen growing support among Pontiac’s business community in recent years with the arrival of new restaurants, technology companies and breweries.

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In January, representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation re-presented the project to council in order to gauge the city’s interest. The department is seeking a resolution of support from Pontiac City Council in order to move forward on the project.

Opening the loop would entail splitting the east side of Woodward Avenue into a two-way street, reverting that section of the road back to local control by the city. Cass Avenue, which runs from Cesar Chavez Avenue to Woodward Avenue, would also be converted into a two-way.

The five-lane roadway on the west side of Woodward Avenue, near Pontiac City Hall and the entrance to M-59, would remain intact as an MDOT trunkline.

While the conversion is designed to bring more people to Pontiac’s downtown from the surrounding neighborhoods, it will also increase vehicle traffic. AECOM, an infrastructure firm hired by MDOT to study potential traffic flows, has stated it found the increase would be considered “tolerable” by the public.

The original study estimated the cost of the project to be about $14 million, or $12 million without landscaping. The resolution of support from Pontiac City Council places that estimate today at $19 million.

Pontiac City Council is expected to vote on the resolution at the next regularly scheduled meeting, 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Pontiac City Hall.

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