Nightmare train crossing headache in Wayne County could soon come to an end

A traffic nightmare may soon end in Metro Detroit

Hope is on the horizon for the motorists fed up with the train crossing in Woodhaven. A major road project has commenced to give traffic an alternative route allowing drivers to avoid the train entirely.  But first, as is the norm in Michigan, there is some construction to worry about before things get better.

(FOX 2) - Hope is on the horizon for the motorists fed up with the train crossing in Woodhaven.

A major road project has commenced to give traffic an alternative route allowing drivers to avoid the train entirely. 

But first, as is the norm in Michigan, there is some construction to worry about before things get better.

Big picture view:

Drivers in southern Wayne County know the pain: they're commuting home from work and get stuck in a major traffic jam.

Frequently, the reason is the train that's stopped on Allen Road. The construction project intended to remedy those issues is now underway.

The solution is a long time coming, thanks to a grade separation bill that cleared the Michigan legislature years earlier. A Trenton lawmaker previously told FOX 2 a fund was needed for these kinds of construction projects because the traffic backups are both annoying and a public safety problem.

"Police can't get to incidents. And in the worst cases, people have died on the way to a hospital because they had trains delay people getting the care they need," state Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) said at the time.

For those that use Allen Road every day, the completed project can't come soon enough.

"Twenty-thirty minutes sometimes, but we try to go around," said Jackie. "We just use Fort Street. That’s unique because there’s another crossing right over on the other side, so we can’t really go north or east or west, but it will be great when it’s done, but I think it’ll have a big impact on the community."

Train crossing in Woodhaven at Allen Road. 

Dig deeper:

The construction project will take two years to complete.

As a detour, drivers will need to turn onto Van Horn. That way, crews can work on building a bridge for the train to cross over the traffic.

Businesses that are located nearby may be impacted slightly by the construction, but no one is prevented from accessing them.