12/2/13 - It was nearly 20 years in the making, but it took just a few seconds to make it a reality as a ceremonial snip of a ribbon by a bevy of local, state and federal officials formally dedicated the long-sought Latson Road Interchange over I-96 this morning. The $32 million project has been in the works since the mid-1990âs, when then-State Senator Mike Rogers first took up the cause to provide a freeway exit between Howell and Brighton to accommodate the growing population and related development. But the project received a real boost when Rogers, soon after becoming a U.S. Congressman in 2001, was able to secure $12 million in federal funding that got the ball rolling. Rogers was present at todayâs ceremony and said while development was a big reason to put the interchange in, it was much more than that. "Just the fact that we can get our emergency vehicles on the others side of the expressway is going to have a huge, positive impact for our ability to make sure people get taken care of." Also present was Jim Latson, whose family the road and interchange is named after. He said the day was a long time coming and one that brought many memories to mind. "I stand here right now and look over there where my house was and I raised my nine kids is gone, my father and my grandfather's farm is still there and back over to Grand River where Meijer's is, where my great-grandfather's farm was, so it's kind of mixed emotions today, but it's done and we're glad it's done." The overpass now connects Latson Road with what used to be Nixon Road, which will now be called South Latson Road. The project also involved widening the Latson Road intersection with Grand River, which now includes dual left-turn lanes in each direction and the reconstruction of both Grand Oaks Drive and Beck Road. MDOT actually opened the overpass and freeway ramps to traffic later this afternoon, at around 3:20pm. (JK)
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