The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) has been officially notified that funding has been awarded to pay for the replacement of two of the worst-condition bridges on the county road system: the 13 Mile Road bridge over the Rouge River in Bingham Farms and the Avon Road bridge over the Clinton River in Rochester Hills.
Both bridges were approved for funding through the Local Bridge Program, which is operated by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and includes a combination of state and federal funding. The two bridges were approved for funding in 2013.
“Both these bridges are on major county roads and are critical to the county road system,” stated RCOC Vice Chairman Eric Wilson. “Both bridges are important to both commerce and residents in the county, and we’re very pleased that they were approved for replacement funding.”
Road Commission Member Greg Jamian concurred. “If funding had not been forthcoming for these bridges, we might have eventually been forced to close them both,” he stated. “That would have created major inconveniences for businesses and residents alike.”
For the 13 Mile bridge, just over $2 million in Local Bridge Program funding was approved. This will cover 95 percent of the construction cost to replace the bridge. RCOC will cover the remaining 5 percent of the construction cost. The Road Commission and the community will pay for other costs associated with the project, including the cost to design the bridge and purchase any necessary additional right of way and the costs associated with overseeing the construction project.
For the Avon bridge, $2.43 million in Local Bridge Program funding was approved, which will cover 95 percent of the construction cost. RCOC will cover the remaining 5 percent of the construction cost. The Road Commission and the City of Rochester Hills will pay for other costs associated with the project, including the cost to design the bridge and purchase any necessary additional right of way and the costs associated with overseeing the construction project.
Both of these bridges have been rapidly deteriorating in recent years. In the case of the Avon bridge, located just east of Livernois Road, one lane of the bridge has been closed since last year because of the deteriorated structure. Weight restrictions are in place for both bridges, restricting the weight of vehicles that can legally cross them.
The funding for the bridges was approved by the Local Bridge Advisory Board, to which local road agencies in Southeast Michigan apply for bridge funding. The Board reviews and ranks all bridges competing for the limited funding and selects the most critical bridges each year from Oakland, Wayne, Macomb and St. Clair counties to receive that year’s available funding. Projects are selected three years in advance of their construction date.
About Tom and Ann Gendich