Wayne County, Michigan - Wayne County Road Commission: History

The following is a written history of Wayne County’s first road, The River Road, now know as Jefferson Avenue through most of Wayne County. The history starts from its earliest beginnings as a simple path in the late 1600’s through its eventual paving in the early 1900’s.

Part III – River Road Gets Surfaced

Since the War of 1812, the River Road has seen almost a century and a quarter of service. Originally the French-Indian Trail through the Black Swamp to Detroit, it became the Great Military Highway. Then the Military Turnpike to Fort Meigs, and then under the act of Congress, a Military Road. It was also known as the Detroit-Frenchtown Road, the Monroe Pike and then later became the River Road and part of the Dixie Highway.

At the present time, sections are also called West Jefferson Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, and Lake Shore Drive. It is the longest through road and street in the County, being approximately thirty-seven miles long from the Macomb to the Monroe County line. Today, twenty-two miles of this great highway has a 120-foot right-of-way in line with the Master Plan of highways adopted by the Wayne County Road Commission. It is the ultimate intention to carry out this plan until this width obtains throughout its entire length across Wayne County.

Gateway from the South
With the industrial development along the Detroit River, the River Road served as a gateway from and to the South. The sections of the road within the incorporated limits of cities and villages were the first to be surfaced. There was nothing done, however, in the rural sections until early in the Twentieth Century. The roads were still impassable during the winter and wet seasons of the year. The plans and corduroy became buried in mud. There are still some traces of corduroy on the River road in the vicinity of Silver Creek. It is buried deep in the ground and parts of it extend through the slopes.

Development of Rural Sections
The first annual report of the Board of Wayne County Road Commissioners, submitted to the Board of Supervisors in 1907, as request was made for an appropriation of $5,000 for the maintenance and repair of the River Road. This was the first definite step towards the development of the rural sections of this great highway. During the following year, the first mile of road was improved under the direction of this Board.

The specifications called for a road 15 feet wide of tar macadam construction and 4-foot shoulders on each side, or 23 feet overall. The depth of stone when finished was 6-1/2 inches. This section was just north of the north limits of the Village of Trenton in the vicinity of Monguagon Creek. This structure was a steel and reinforced concrete bridge 31 feet long, 18 feet wide and 27 feet in the clear. It replaced to 6-foot boiler shells, 31 feet long. These boiler shells were found to be inadequate to carry away the water during the high water season in the spring with a result that not only the road, but the low lands for long distances adjacent there to were overflowed from one to six weeks in the year. The road was washed out, causing much inconvenience and discomfort to residents in the low lands, and threats for damages were occasioned by the flooding of cellars and the first floors of residences.

During the following year [1909], an additional section was taken over for similar improvement. This section was also built of macadam construction, limestone and crushed cobble, and started at the south limits of the City of Wyandotte and joined the section built the previous year and as a result the total improved section was 10,00 feet in length, or approximately two miles.

General Awakening of Road Building.
At the time, these rural sections of road were being built, there was a general awakening of road building, or more particularly, pavement building along the live of the River Road. A brick pavement was constructed in River Rouge to join the section of brick pavement already built in Ecorse. Ford City was about to start construction of a brick pavement. With the completion of this work there was a continuous stretch of about 28 miles, extending from the Wayne-Macomb County line to Sibley, there being but one short break in the southerly end of Wyandotte.

First Section of Concrete
The first section of concrete pavement on the River Road was built in 1910 and was a continuation of the two miles of macadam previously built. This section was approximately three-quarters of a mile in length and was of a 1:2:3 mix of Portland cement, washed sand and washed gravel. The road metal was 15 feet wide and six inches deep, and with four-foot shoulders on each side the road had an overall width of 23 feet.

The following year another section three and one-half miles in length, and extending south from the south limits of Trenton, was constructed. This section of concrete was constructed of a 1:1 1/2:3 mix, 15 feet wide and 7 inches deep. The City of Wyandotte also built a section of brick pavement one-half mile in length and closed the existing gap.

The concrete construction was carried on to the Monroe County line, and at the end of 1912 the total mileage of hard surface road amounted to somewhat less than 20 miles, of which approximately 11 miles were concrete, two miles tar macadam and 7 miles brick. This made for a continuous stretch of good road from the Macomb County line to the Monroe County line.

First Traffic Census
In order to arrive at definite conclusions as to traffic conditions on a particular road or at a major intersection, the idea of a traffic census was originated. These traffic counts are now made annually and form a basis of future highway developments. The earlier counts showed the definite trend towards motor vehicles and the more recent ones show the need for wider and stronger roads.

On River Road, the first traffic count was taken in 1912, just outside of the city limits of Detroit and the results of a 24-hour count were as follows:

Since that time, horse drawn vehicles have become almost extinct and the automobile and truck traffic has increase tremendously. River Road is part of the outer belt and also carries much freight and bus traffic. Traffic counts are now taken at various important intersections along the road and of course vary for different days of the week

On July 31, 1927, after the road had been widened to 72 feet, the count for 14 hours in the Village of Trenton was as follows: