MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Every year in Meridian Township, the Local Road Improvement Program makes it a point to renovate any roads that need improvements.

That includes revising all pathways to assure they reach the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance federal regulation.

"Basically it means that you have to have detectable warning plates at every intersection so folks that are visually impaired have some way to determine 'ok I'm at a point where I'm going to have to cross the street'," Assistant Township Manager/Director of Public Works & Engineering Derek Perry mentioned.

Those warning plates are the cement bubbles that you see on the corner of every sidewalk.

"The purpose of them is not only to provide a surface to feel a change, but also for folks that aren't completely blind...it has a surface or color variation that shows 'ok this is darker, this is lighter so I know I'm getting close to an intersection'," stated Perry.

The Township works in cooperation with the Ingham County Road Department to determine which roads need a little tender loving care.

"We come together with some dollars, actually some significant dollars from the township and then we evaluate the sidewalks with them and then our own engineering staff goes out there and works with them and helps measure things out and make sure we get a finished product," Perry mentioned.

This year, approximately 15 roads had some sort of street revisions, but some of the major improvements were implemented on Patriots Way, Highgate Avenue and Westminster Way.

"We're budgeted about $200,000 extra just to do the road improvement program...just to do the additional ADA work that was required," Perry stated.

Perry also mentions that the amount it costs to make these improvements can differ each year.

"That dollar amount can vary year to year it just really depends on where we select our streets..some streets allow the ramps to be already compliant, others may not need such a large improvement, others like some of the streets we did last year and the prior year they really needed some upgrades so we had to spend some additional dollars," Perry said.

Township Manager Frank Walsh also mentioned that the township made it a point to take the high road and make all the ADA improvements that needed to be done.

"We made a decision about spending $130-$160,000 extra in our project this year to make everything ADA compliant," Walsh stated.

Because of these incremental improvements that were made, the township is truly hoping that residents are able to see the hard work that was put in.

"ADA is important to the township and it is something that we're striving for and again, year after year we try to make the improvements that are necessary so our people can get around as easy as possible," Perry mentioned.