R.R. Branstrom/Daily Press Jack Ham speaks animatedly about M-35's dangers at a Ford River Township meeting Monday.

FORD RIVER — Representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) virtually attended the regular meeting of Delta County’s Ford River Township Board Monday to address concerns from residents who insisted that measures need to be taken to mitigate the dangers on M-35.

Given no concrete answer on what could be done, many residents left unhappy. However, their comments are all on record, and Delta County Commissioner Christine Williams — who represents Ford River — assured Monday’s attendees that she would continue to work with relevant agencies and advocate for the citizens’ cause.

The corridor troubling Ford River Township residents is an approximately four-mile span of highway between Escanaba and Ford River. From around the Delta County Airport to the Ford River Bridge, the slightly-curving M-35 is home to a number of residential driveways. It’s also an area highly trafficked by semi trucks and reported reckless speeding drivers. Homeowners in the area say they feel like they are gambling with their lives.

The overwhelming majority of people in the room agreed that M-35 is dangerous, and they brought up a number of suggestions about how to tackle the issues.

“Hopefully MDOT will consider a turn lane for southbound traffic on M-35 a mile south of the airport,” said Todd Myrick. The current situation makes it specially difficult “for the homeowners turning left from the north, heading south on M-35. We all put our lives in our hands daily on our commutes to work, school, and church,” he said. “I’m here as a Portage Point resident to advocate for a right-hand southbound bypass lane. As we homeowners turn left, heading south onto Portage Point Road, that gives the opportunity for the traffic to veer off to the right hand side without going out of the shoulder — which they do now, kicking up dust and rocks, coming close to clipping our passenger mirrors as they do that. And I know there’s been numerous accidents.”

MDOT’s staff sais no funding was dedicated for road projects in the area for the next five years and the addition of a lane in the near future was unlikely because “we simply don’t have the funding for the traffic volume to warrant it.”

The ideas presented by residents varied. Some thing that allowing the area to be a passing zone is a mistake.

“I think it’d be (helpful) — and I’m not a traffic engineer, but if they had a double yellow line, so cars couldn’t pass,” said Alan Odell. “When you’re turning left, you have to be very conscious of looking in the mirror to make sure nobody’s passing you.”

To that suggestion, Ben Feldhausen of MDOT said, “As a rule, passing is permitted unless it’s unsafe,” inciting some indignant sounds from the crowd. “We are certainly open to re-evaluating the passing zone and taking a look at crashes that are occurring and making sure that what’s there is appropriate.”

Several people asked for truck traffic to be diverted to U.S. 41 instead. One resident who has lived in the area since 1976 stated that when the weight limits on M-35 were lifted decades ago, it brought the heavy trucks to Ford River. “The way that you reduce traffic and semi traffic — if you reduce the speed limit, they’re going to look for the fastest route, and that’s going to be U.S. 41, which should be the truck route,” said Amy Chown.

Jill Bernard asked whether speed-monitoring traffic cameras could be installed as a way to bring in money as well as deter offenders, she said. “As of currently, right now, we do not use speed cameras in Michigan,” replied Feldhausen.

“I’ve seen dead animals, I’ve seen dead people, I’ve treated injured people. It’s a very deadly stretch of highway,” said Mary Harrington on Monday night, as other attendees of the township meeting applaud. “And I think if you add more lanes, people are just going to take those lanes and they’re going to go faster.”

When Township Supervisor Steve Nelson asked Feldhausen about rumble strips, the MDOT employee said that they probably wouldn’t help in this case, and that township residents had previously expressed opposition to them because of the noise. “It should be noted that the intent of those rumble strips is not to prohibit or minimize people from taking chances at passing. The intent of the rumble strips is to provide an audible and tactile warning for runoff roads crashes,” Feldhausen responded.

The conversation had nearly wrapped up when two more locals spoke passionately.

“2017, December 12, my mother-in-law, Patti Finch, was killed a half mile from Portage Point,” said Nicole Fitch in a breaking voice. “In December, the sun is shining just right, the shadow cast over the road, she was unable to see the school bus stopped in front of her, and the truck behind that.

“The things that were expressed tonight are very important, and I’d really like to see some change, so we don’t lose another family member, a friend, or a neighbor. It makes a difference,” Fitch concluded.

Township Clerk Debbi Brown advised that anyone interested in staying updated should email clerk@forriver.org or supervisor@fordriver.org.