Crosstown Traffic: Hall Road Wears on Motorists

Crank up some AC/DC and get ready to journey to Macomb Township's version of the "Highway to Hell" — Hall Road.

Some head-banging music would be appropriate on M-59, which is also known as Hall Road and has become notorious region-wide for its traffic jams and bottlenecks. 

Following recent extreme cases of road rage, the Macomb County Sheriff's Office is making it a point to urge drivers traveling the stretch to remain calm, despite less-than-ideal traffic conditions.

Charles D'Amico is one of those drivers. As an area manager for on Hall Road, he knows the highway well, and he rolls his eyes and shakes his head at the mention of its name.

"I drive up and down it every day," D'Amico said. "Horrible would be an understatement."

High-speed chase, road rage incidents

Several incidents last month, including a wrong-way, high-speed chase that ended with the suspect slamming into a deputy's car, have heightened concerns about the highway.

In addition, three men were charged with assault with a deadly weapon in separate road-rage incidents over Thanksgiving weekend. Two of these incidents occurred along Hall Road.

Almont resident Ronald St. Onge, 46, has been charged with pointing a gun at a 44-year-old Shelby Township resident at Hayes and Hall Road.  David Julian, 45, is accused of pointing a gun later that day at another Clinton Township resident at Hall Road at Romeo Plank.

Capt. Anthony Wickersham of the Macomb County Sheriff's Office cautions that those were extreme cases.

"I just think that it's time, it's opportunity, and it's a heavily trafficked road," Wickersham said. "In two of the (road-rage) incidents, one happened in a subdivision and just carried over to Hall Road. And another actually started on Van Dyke."

Nevertheless, Wickersham said traffic volume on M-59 does increase with the holiday season, particularly with both Partridge Creek and Lakeside malls on the south side of the road. He urged motorists to give themselves extra time if they plan on using the highway.

People plan ways to avoid Hall Road

D'Amico already does that.

He and his coworkers know that if they have any errands to run late in the day, they must leave before rush-hour traffic hits its peak around 4:15 p.m. If not, "it can take 45 minutes to go two miles," D'Amico said.

Lisa Willett of Macomb Township gets a close look at the traffic on Hall Road. She rides her bike on the highway, and she said conditions have changed little.

"It's always (been) this bad," Willett said. "A lot of people talk on the cell phone, and they don't pay attention to people on bicycles."

D'Amico agrees that traffic is a problem.

"I've seen car accidents left and right," he said. "I've seen tons of accidents on Romeo Plank and Hall Road."

Less than one hour after saying that, D'Amico e-mailed a picture of a fender-bender he had just driven past on M-59 near Tilch Road.

Because of the bottlenecks and accidents, D'Amico said that Jimmy John's drivers often take an alternate route and head north to 21 Mile Road when making a sandwich delivery just a few blocks away on Hall Road.

For his part, Wickersham encourages everybody to settle down and keep emotions in control when traveling on M-59.

And maybe chill out on the AC/DC.

"People are human, and if they do intentionally cut you off, just try to shrug it off," Wickersham said.