Stimulus Funds Prepare Facelift for Kettering

By: Trent Sutherland

Posted: 3/2/10

Kettering University and the surrounding area will soon to be the site of a trifecta of construction projects, aimed at repairing, beautifying, and increasing the efficiency of traffic flow to and around Campus. Specifically, repairing and narrowing University Avenue, continuing the Flint River Trail along the periphery of Campus, and increasing the accessibility of Kettering from the Hammerberg road exit off of I-69. Though this sounds like a series of tall orders, and therefore expensive, it will cost the University nothing but inconvenience, as these projects are being funded by the city of Flint and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, respectively. The projects are slated to begin as soon the last traces of winter vanish, so roughly the beginning of Kettering's Spring term. Completion dates are indeterminate and sources would not comment. However, the surfaces must be "run-able" by the Crim Festival of Races on August 28th, 2010.

The first project is the complete removal and replacement of Chevrolet Avenue from University Avenue to the Flint River Bridge. This will also involve narrowing the road from five lanes to three lanes, with one northbound, one southbound, and a turning lane. The purported reason is to assist in "controlling traffic" when the third project, the Kettering Gateway, is completed. As with any construction project, there is to be inconvenience, but this genre happens to be specifically troublesome to the students of Kettering University. Access to the Campus Center will be severely curtailed, with the only route being a surreptitious one in between the Mott building and the Dorms. Both parking lots of the Campus Village Apartments that are on Chevrolet will be only occasionally accessible as well. The result of this temporary inconvenience will be a long term benefit however as the many pot holes that we've all come to know on Chevrolet Ave will be no more.

The second project is to be the continuation of the Flint River Trail through the "Kettering Extension." The Flint River Trail is a walking/biking trail that begins near the cultural center downtown and, once completed, will roughly follow the Flint River all the way to Ballinger Hwy. The "Kettering Extension" will run southwest parallel to Bluff St, crossing Chevrolet to the Campus Center side, make a left turn at University Ave and then skirt the edge of campus until roughly Nolan Dr, short of the two Fraternity houses. It will then cross Sunset Dr and continue to follow the river through Mott Park to Ballinger Hwy. As the dimensions for such paths are decreed by Federal legislation it will be necessary to relocate a few things on campus, namely the entire athletic field fence line along University Ave/Sunset Dr, which will be pushed back by several feet to accommodate the trail. Sidewalks along the route will also be removed and replaced with asphalt, the trail surface of choice. The routing of this new transportation artery was carefully negotiated with City of Flint officials by Kettering University personnel to make the campus feel more open and accessible while still retaining a measure of safety and security. Once completed the "Kettering Extension" to the Flint River Trail will provide an efficient route downtown as well as a rather scenic five mile round trip.

The combination of the above two projects will also result in the loss of access to Chevrolet Ave from Campus Drive, the road between the Mott Building and the Campus Center as it will be sealed off with both a curb and the Flint River Trail way.

The final large scale project in the works is the "Kettering Gateway Project." Funded by Federal stimulus money its' destiny is to make the route from the Hammerberg Road exit of I-69 to Kettering more efficient and easier to navigate. Currently either route from I-69, Pershing to Court to Glenwood to Chevrolet, or Miller to Court to Thayer to Glenwood to Chevrolet, is long and winding, involving many turns and a one way street or two. This project will reroute Miller directly to Fox St, install a left turn at Second St and Fox and widen Second St to allow for two way traffic directly to Chevrolet Ave. Glenwood Ave will also be widened to allow for two way traffic all the way from Chevrolet to downtown. All this directional talk of streets and expansions belays the simple fact that this project will make it easier and safer to get to Kettering University from the outside world. This would help eliminate the scores of new freshmen, parents and visitors that end up wandering the streets of Flint for want of a well marked route to Kettering, surely a good thing for prospective students as well as anyone visiting the Campus.

All of these projects are endorsed by Kettering University for their long term objectives and benefits, both to the University and the surrounding community. Though temporary difficulties may be caused, the increased visibility, accessibility, and enhanced image can only be a boon to Kettering. Watch future issues for updates on these projects!