Crahen/Forest Hill connector road officially open

By Madison Bennett | MLive

The connector road for Crahen Road and Forest Hill Avenue near Leonard and Fulton streets in Grand Rapids Township is officially open.

The new road officially opened on Nov. 2, according to Township Supervisor Mike DeVries, but is still a work in progress.

"The elimination of that decades-old offset intersection vastly improves traffic flow and safety; however it is different and will take a little time for folks to adjust to the new alignment," DeVries said.

Township officials had been working toward a solution for the traffic congestion in that area for several years, which led to the idea of connecting the two streets.

The connector eliminated the need to turn on to Fulton for those traveling north or south using both Crahen Road and Forest Hill Avenue.

Construction began in September but the township had been officially working on the project since November 2016, when they purchased the six-acre parcel for $1.2 million.

In April, the township signed access agreements with the Kent County Road Commission and Michigan Department of Transportation in order to build a street through the property.

"MDOT and the Kent County Road Commission will continue to monitor the intersection in order to make it as safe and efficient as possible," DeVries said.

The $1.2 million spent by the township toward the road is expected to be reimbursed by reselling two parcels for development, including a 1.6-acre site adjacent to Fulton Street and a 3.5-acre site on the east side of the newly constructed Crahen Road.

The next step for the township is to remove the former section of Crahen Road, a project that is currently underway.

This post originally appeared Nov. 22, 2017 on MLive.com.