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Politics & Government

Obama's Dearborn Visit Could Cause Congestion on Oakwood Boulevard

The road is expected to close intermittently on Wednesday afternoon as the president's motorcade enters and exits Dearborn.

President Barack Obama will for a fundraiser at the , but it's enough to cause traffic issues for local drivers who live and work in the area.

Oakwood Boulevard is expected to close briefly from 4:45-5:15 p.m. and 6-6:30 p.m. from the Southfield Freeway to Michigan Avenue as the Secret Service escorts the president to The Henry Ford.

Ford Motor Company employees working in the nearby Research and Engineering complexes were cautioned that all Oakwood entrances to the complex would be closed during those time periods. Access to the Dearborn Development Center, The Fuel Cell Center, all Trackside locations and the mechanics lots will also be unavailable.

Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Oakwood Healthcare spokeswoman Paula Rivera-Kerr said that the closures are not expected to drastically affect access to –the entrances to which are on Oakwood Boulevard–and that Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad "assured us that Oakwood Boulevard will not be closed or blocked off for an extended period of time."

"The road is only expected to be blocked as the motorcade passes, so all emergency medical services and employees will still have access to Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center," Rivera-Kerr added. "In the event an emergency vehicle needs to proceed to the hospital through the motorcade, a police escort will be on hand to assist."

Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The fundraiser at The Henry Ford will be one of two held in Michigan on Wednesday. The second, a cocktail reception, will be held at the Bingham Farms home of Denise Ilitch and Jim Scalici. Tickets for that event range from $10,000-$40,000.

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