12/3/13 - More than 100 people, including local, state and federal officials, turned out Monday morning for the formal dedication of the Latson Road Interchange over I-96. The $32 million project has long been supported by Congressman Mike Rogers, who was one of the keynote speakers at yesterdayâs ceremony. Rogers told WHMI that the public safety rationale for creating a north-south access across I-96 was more than just giving emergency vehicles a clear path to the southern part of the county. "That in and of itself is a worthy project, but it's also the safety of freeing up cars at the Brighton/Grand River exit which used to back up into traffic. We think this is going to go a long way to reduce that congestion. That's what's so exciting about this. It has those safety components, which is huge and important, but it also has the economic development side of it and clearly the convenience side for so many families in Livingston County." Also speaking was MDOT Director Kirk Steudle, who said the interchange project was innovative in another way; it was completely paperless, using digital copies for all planning and engineering documents. He said that alone shaved about $300,000 off the cost of the interchange. Now Exit 140, the interchange provides access to the freeway roughly half-way between Howell and Brighton. The overpass also connects Latson Road with what used to be Nixon Road, which is now called South Latson Road. (JK)
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