Why would Fort Gratiot Township start a major intersection job in October, after a full summer of road work and with winter not far off? The answer goes back further than most people would guess. The roundabout planned for Krafft Road and State Road came out of a crash review from 2018 and a grant application filed in 2021. The money from that grant is tied to this one corner in 2026. The township's September 29 notice tells you what happens next. The years of paperwork behind it explain the timing.
A Decision That Started in 2018
Fort Gratiot Township posted a question-and-answer sheet on the project in April 2026. It traces the roundabout through a series of steps, and the township's own records fill in the rest of 2026.
- 2012 to 2016: The Krafft and State intersection had 13 crashes in this period, and 2 of them caused injuries.
- 2018: The St. Clair County Road Commission asked the Michigan Department of Transportation to review 12 intersections of concern across the county's road system. Krafft and State was one of them, and MDOT recommended a roundabout.
- 2021: The Road Commission applied for the region's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, with the funding set for 2026.
- March 2026: WSAQ reported that the township was getting ready to rebuild Krafft between State and Parker and add a mini-roundabout at State.
- July 15, 2026: Township board minutes said the Krafft road project was going out to bid. The township was also getting prices to move water valves and a hydrant.
- August 11, 2026: A Planning Commission packet listed "Krafft and State Road Roundabout bids" in the township board representative's update.
- September 29, 2026: The township told residents construction would start within the next 7 to 10 days.
Counting from the notice date, that puts the start somewhere between October 6 and October 9. More than eight years will have passed between MDOT's review and the first day of work.
Why the Money Couldn't Wait or Move
The FAQ answers a question many people have asked, which is why the township is building a roundabout when other roads also need repairs. The funds were set aside for the improvements in the grant request and can't go to another location. If the project were canceled or left unfinished, the township would lose the money.
That also explains why the work is at Krafft and State and not Keewahdin and State, the intersection people often bring up instead. The grant names Krafft and State only. Keewahdin and State is also under MDOT's jurisdiction. According to the FAQ, MDOT is studying that intersection at the request of Fort Gratiot and the Road Commission.
Crashes were the main reason, but the FAQ gives another one. Traffic backs up at this corner during school drop-off and pickup, and the FAQ describes that congestion as a growing problem.
The Times Herald reported a $336,441 cost estimate for the roundabout back in April 2022. That number came out years before this summer's bidding, so it is an early estimate and not the price of the work starting now.
The Last Job in a Long Road Season
The roundabout comes at the end of a busy year for road work in Fort Gratiot. Back in March, WSAQ listed repaving in the Old Farm neighborhood and repairs on Shorewood Boulevard as the township's other big summer projects. Both were scheduled to happen before Krafft.
| Project | What was scheduled | Timing as announced |
|---|---|---|
| M-136 shoulder and drainage work, M-25 to North Road | About $274,000 in maintenance ahead of resurfacing in 2027 | MDOT planned June 1 to 24. The township later said work would pick up again the week of June 15 |
| Shorewood Boulevard | Milling, then paving | Milling on Friday, July 24, and paving set to wrap up Monday, July 27 |
| Old Farm subdivision | Milling and repaving on Sunset, Surrey, W. Surrey, E. Surrey, Guilford, Quaker Hill, Old Forge, Lantern, Old Farm, Sturbridge and Angus | Started August 3. After a pause, Old Farm Lane was set for its final overlay the week of August 24 |
| Krafft Road, Parker to State, then the Krafft/State intersection | Repaving, then a roundabout | Starting within 7 to 10 days of September 29 |
Each of these schedules moved at least once. The township warned that M-136 dates could change, Shorewood depended on the weather, and the final Old Farm overlay slipped a week after work stopped in mid-August. So the Krafft dates are best treated the same way, as a plan that may shift.
Two Phases, Two Different Closures
The September 29 notice splits the work into two phases, and each one affects traffic in a different way.
Phase 1, repaving Krafft from Parker to State. Krafft closes to through traffic, but local traffic can still get in. Through drivers are told to use other routes. The notice doesn't say how long this phase will take.
Phase 2, building the roundabout at State and Krafft. This phase starts once repaving is finished, and it can close the whole intersection for up to 30 days. The township says drivers will need alternate routes. Back in March, WSAQ reported that the closure would block every vehicle, emergency vehicles included. Officials said they were already planning how emergency services would keep reaching the affected areas.
Only the second phase has a time limit attached, and Phase 2 doesn't start until repaving is done. Nothing the township has published yet says whether both phases will be finished before winter. The notice says more information will come as it becomes available.
How the Corner Will Work When It Reopens
Most of the FAQ deals with the practical worries people raise about a roundabout on a two-lane township road.
- Why not a signal or a four-way stop? According to the FAQ, research shows distracted drivers miss signals and stop signs and don't stop.
- What is the mound in the middle for? It warns drivers that something is ahead, cuts glare from oncoming headlights, and keeps drivers entering the roundabout looking left at the traffic already in it.
- School buses: The Road Commission modeled a full-size school bus going straight and turning left. A bus fits without driving onto the center island.
- Trucks: There's no straight lane for trucks. Large trucks will drive over part of the center island to turn left, and they may need to do the same to go straight.
- The houses on the corners: The design is finished and fits inside the existing road right-of-way. Small temporary easements are needed during construction only.
WSAQ described the design as a mini-roundabout, and the FAQ says it fits within the existing road right-of-way.
Reaching the Pond, the Park and the Township Hall
So far the township hasn't named an official detour for either phase. Its notice only tells drivers to follow construction and detour signs. A different Krafft paving job in June 2025 used State Road to Keewahdin Road/M-136, then Pine Grove/M-136. That route belonged to the 2025 project, though. It isn't the official plan for this one.
Several of the township's most-used spots sit close to the work zone.
- McIntyre Park and Fort Gratiot Pond, 4888 Parker Road. They share a parking lot. McIntyre has the township's disc golf course. The pond, south of Carrigan Road, has fishing docks, pavilions, a playground, and a connection to the bike path. The paved trail around the pond is the Dockside Loop. Earlier this year the township approved a native-planting plan to keep geese away from it, with low sedges and flowers next to the walkway and taller grasses and shrubs along the trail edge. A Soft Landing Garden planting was also scheduled at McIntyre for September 18.
- Township offices, 3720 Keewahdin Road. The Pointe Community Center rental hall, which holds 60 people, uses the same address.
- Fort Gratiot Trail & Nature Preserve. It has a nature area off Parker Road and a trailhead on Keewahdin Road across from Fort Gratiot Middle School.
- The 24th Avenue/M-25 corridor. The township calls this its shopping corridor. Birchwood Mall is at 4350 24th Avenue and AMC Birchwood 10 is at 4230 24th Avenue.
Parker Road isn't part of the closure. The notice covers Krafft from Parker to State and, in the second phase, the Krafft/State intersection, so the pond and park entrance at 4888 Parker stays outside both.
If you live near this stretch of Krafft and want to talk through how a fall project like this could affect a listing, showings, or moving day, I'm happy to walk through the timing with you. I'm Lisa Glombowski, and you can learn more about the area on my Fort Gratiot Township page. Let's Connect.
