HOLLY, Mich. (WXYZ) — No one likes getting stuck in traffic, but that's exactly what's happening to drivers in Holly. Drivers there are having a hard time getting onto I-75 at Grange Hall because of the installation of new stop signs.
Watch Ali's report in the video player below
Jason Bradshaw reached out to me on Facebook and sent me photos (below). One of those photos shows the stop-and-go traffic, and the other is a map showing the slow-moving traffic.
“It seemed liked they just showed up out of nowhere, and there were no answers to you know, what happened here," he told me.
Jason said these stop signs on Grange Hall over I-75 are adding extra time and frustration to his drive.
“Now in order for me to travel across that to get to Dixie Highway, or any other points that are to the east, I have to wait on average 5-10 minutes for traffic to get through the two stop signs that are there," Bradshaw said.
Once Jason reached out to me, I got to work to figure out why the stop signs were installed.
Diane Cross with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) tells me the stop signs were requested by the surrounding municipalities to help first responders.
“I believe we have maybe 7 or 8 different points there where traffic comes together, so working with the local emergency responders in those local communities, it was decided that having the stop signs would then allow the emergency vehicles to get around," Cross said. "If we can stop traffic at some point, then you can get an ambulance through, a fire engine, police, that kind of thing.”
While drivers might be frustrated now, there are plans in the works to help alleviate some of the congestion.
“We are going to come back in 27 — 2027 — which is not that far away in the construction world, and make these areas that have stop signs roundabouts," Cross said.
While Bradshaw likes the idea of roundabouts, he's hoping for a better solution until they can be constructed.
“It does make me feel better that there is a solution in mind, however, the short term inconvenience definitely is going to spill over to a lot of frustration," Bradshaw said. “Can we get stop temporary stop lights? Or something that can not cause a problem when you have heavy traffic volumes?"
If you have something that's driving you crazy, you can email me at Ali.Hoxie@WXYZ.com or reach out to me on any one of my social media pages.
