Coolidge Highway Reopens in Huntington Woods

Just moments before rain began to fall Monday evening, workers painted the final stripe on a crosswalk at the corner of Lincoln and Coolidge Highway in Huntington Woods, bringing to an early end a paving project that began in April.

's deadline was Sept. 17, according to  project manager Larry Harworth, and the work couldn't end soon enough for nearby residents.

"It's the happiest day of my life," Barry Friedman of Huntington Woods said Monday as he watched workers complete the crosswalk. "I've had to drive through the neighborhood just like everybody else. It's been terrible. It's been slow. But, it looks like it's finally here."

Residents approved a $2 million bond for the project, which also included sections of LaSalle and Huntington. A $1.84 million contract for the work was awarded in April to DiPonio Contracting Inc. of Shelby Township.

Motorists were rerouted to either Greenfield Road or Woodward Avenue for northbound travel while the road was being repaved, with all egress points from 10 Mile to Lincoln closed.

"It's been entertaining watching people go northbound in the southbound lanes. We've seen people do that countless times," said Friedman, who added he also saw people move the barriers on Lincoln to access the roadway. "If you can think of something stupid, they did it.

"This completes it," he said. " and now this. We're free again."

Editor's note: Stay tuned to Berkley Patch for official comment.