Construction began this week to make a section of Coolidge Road a two-way street, which East Lansing officials say is going to help traffic problems in the area.
But some East Lansing residents in the neighborhood are wary of the change.
"It's going to cause a real headache," said Chris Reimann, a Glencairn Neighborhood Association representative. The Glencairn Neighborhood is bordered by Abbott Road, Grand River Avenue and Saginaw Street.
Reimann said residents surrounding the changing road are especially worried about how much traffic will be cutting through their neighborhoods.
Work started Monday to convert the one-way section of Coolidge between Saginaw Street and Grand River Avenue into a two-way street. That area is being redeveloped into a commercial shopping area by Strathmore Development Company, said Todd Sneathen, East Lansing Group Manager of Public Works and Environmental Services. The Strathmore Company is moving there, along with a branch of Fifth Third Bank and a Beaner's Gourmet Coffee, Sneathen said.
It is estimated construction will take two to three weeks with weather permitting.
Sneathen said there has not been any businesses on that corner for 20 years and has had minimal traffic.
"It makes sense for access to the site to make it a two-way," he said.
Bob Owen, East Lansing planning and zoning administrator, said the purpose of the change is to make that site more accessible.
"It addresses the cut-through issue we had with surrounding neighborhoods," Owen said. "It allows the traffic to get where it's going without cutting through the neighborhoods."
Peter Kakela, a vice president of the Harvard Road and North Cowley Neighborhood Association, said this project is not going to help the neighborhoods. The Harvard Road and North Cowley Association borders are Cowley Avenue north of Saginaw Street, and Harvard Road to Coolidge Road.
About four years ago, Kakela's neighborhood association came together with the idea to block off North Cowley Avenue because of traffic problems there, Kakela said. That success is overshadowed with the new development encroaching into residential areas, he added.
"This is a step back with more commercial properties right next to and almost invading East Lansing," Kakela said. "Several things could have been done there, except another commercial building."
Reimann also is concerned that the project will divert traffic into surrounding residential streets as well and said he can imagine real traffic problems in the area.
"I hope I'm wrong," he said.
