Dobry Trail

The City of Sterling Heights, in partnership with the city of Utica, is applying for a TAP grant to fund the installation of a new 2.6-mile long and 10-ft wide safety path in these cities. The safety path is located on EB Dobry Dr., a service road for M-59, from Dequindre Rd. to Utica Rd. The path is 10-ft wide from Dequindre Rd. to Utica Rd. The path then connects to the existing sidewalks on Utica Rd. and Greely St. thus providing a direct connection to the Iron Belle Trail approximately 0.25 miles southeast of the project limits. 

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Project funds will be used to:

  1. Construct the 2.6 mile safety path. The path will be 4-inch concrete over 6-inch aggregate base, with a minimum 2-ft shy distance where feasible. Variation in the safety path width (i.e. 8-ft and 10-ft widths) is to minimize any environmental and ROW impacts and match the existing crossections of connecting paths/sidewalks.
  2. Modernize pedestrian crossings and signals along EB Dobry Dr at the intersection with Dequindre Rd, Ryan Rd, Mound Rd, and Utica Rd.
  3. Install a new traffic signal at the intersection of EB Dobry Dr and Merrill St to establish a safe connection for users of the new path and for the north-south crossing on EB Dobry Dr. 
  4. Install ADA ramps at all applicable intersections and driveways.
  5. Landscape restoration at impacted locations.

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This project is a critical part of the City of Sterling Heights 2017-2021 Parks, Recreation and Non-Motorized Master Plan. At the core of this plan is improving accessibility throughout the city, provide open space and recreational opportunities, and conserve and increase the City's ecological value and access to nature. The project is specifically identified in the Master Plan as an important non-motorized path gap priority, and directly addresses objectives C1.1 and C3.1 of the Master Plan by completing sidewalk gaps that are near and/or connect users to parks and trail systems, and improve accessibility to the Iron Belle Trail. Thus, primary project objectives are:

  1. Provide safe, walkable, and accessible paths for all non-motorized users.
  2. Connect/eliminate the current gap in paths/sidewalks along EB Dobry Dr.
  3. Provide intra-community non-motorized connectivity between the cities of Sterling Heights, Troy, and Utica. 
  4. Improve access to parks, recreational areas, trail systems, and the Iron Belle Trail.
  5. Realize the City of Sterling Heights Master Plan and achieve its vision of complete street connections within its boundaries and to surrounding communities.

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This project is not an isolated improvement but an integral part of a well-planned network of non-motorized paths 

benefiting residents of the subject communities and region. As a result, the project is coordinated with other 

significant non-motorized routes which include:

  1. The Iron Belle Trail is the eastern limit of this project. The trail extends for more than 2,000 miles in Michigan and is identified as critical infrastructure. This project provides a critical east-west connection to the trail.
  2. The City of Sterling Heights Nature Trail which connects Delia Park, the Plumbrook Nature Preserve, and Beaumont Hospital is located west of the project and was built in 2019. The project connects to this trail and allows use of these recreational areas and facilities and vice versa.
  3. The Jimmy John's Field is a baseball field northeast of the project and home to four baseball teams. The project includes a signal and ped crossing at Merrill St to allow users safely cross EB Dobry Dr. and continue to this destination.

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For additional information, or for input or comments on the project, please contact the City’s consulting engineer HUBBELL, ROTH & CLARK, INC at (248) 410-5831 or the City Engineering Office at (586) 446-2720.