Tienken Road Widening - 1940s style

There's been lots of coverage of the proposed work on E. Tienken Road in the news lately (if you aren't up to speed on this issue, check out this story from today's Oakland Press), so it's no wonder that the following item caught my eye while I was scanning a copy of the Rochester Clarion from 69 years ago. The article is quoted in its entirety from the October 11, 1940 issue of the Rochester Clarion:

County Makes Repairs on E. Tienken Road

Narrow Bridges Are Torn Out; Curves Cut and Road Widened

East Tienken road from the Van Hoosen farm store to Rochester road M-150 is closed to traffic. The road is under construction by the Oakland County Road Commission and is undergoing great improvements.
Near the Van Hoosen store the road is being ditched on both sides to give better drainage off the road bed. The two narrow bridges that have been in use for many years at the entrance to Stoney Creek have been torn out and the one bridge is being replaced with a much wider structure and in place of the small bridge a large culvert will be placed to take care of the water.
Furthur up the road near the Gehrke pond the sharp curves are being cut down and will improve visibility for the motorists. In some places the road is being widened and shoulders built up so as to properly drain the road and ditches. [end quote]

If you are wondering where I come down on the current Tienken Road controversy, here's my two cents. I'm all for safe roads and bridges, and East Tienken and the Stoney Creek bridge definitely need some work. That said, the integrity of the Stoney Creek Historic District has to be maintained and the village needs to be recognized for the treasure that it is. That means some accommodations will have to be made by motorists. Tienken cannot serve as an east-west throughway into Macomb County. Traffic looking for that kind of avenue can take a short detour to the south and use M-59. That's what it's there for. End of soapbox.