The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) plans to complete nearly $27 million worth of road improvements during the 2016 road construction season, ranging from road widenings and gravel road paving to resurfacing projects, bridge maintenance and culvert replacements and repairs.
“We are excited about the improvements we’re going to make to a variety of roads in Oakland County this year,” stated RCOC Chairman Ron Fowkes. “These important improvements will improve the quality of life and the business environment in the county.”
Road Commission Board Chairman Ron Fowkes
Fowkes acknowledged that far more work needs to be done on the roads in the county, but that funding limitations hamper additional plans. “We’re still working in 2016 without additional road funding,” he explained. “Oakland County still has nearly $3 billion in un-funded road needs. However, we are working with our partner communities to do everything we can with the available funding.”
RCOC Vice Chairman Eric Wilson agreed. “We appreciate the public’s patience as we strive to improve the road system,” he noted. “The unfortunate reality is we have more roads in poor versus good condition due to the long-term road-funding crisis. Partial funding relief, initiated by the Michigan Legislature, will begin hitting our books in 2017; however, the jury is still out on half of the funding that relies on General Fund allocations to be done yearly by the Legislature.”
RCOC Commissioner Greg Jamian added that this year’s investment in the transportation infrastructure will help everyone who lives, works and visits Oakland County. “The improving economy is bringing more people back to work, putting more traffic on our road system that has been underfunded for decades. Good roads continue to impact quality of life and help our business community continue to thrive,” he said. “We are committed to improving roads; however, we must work within our financial means that mostly come from state and federal gas tax revenues.”
Road Closing Alert
A few 2016 projects of note:
- Partial widening, reconstruction and dual culvert replacement on Big Beaver Road from Woodward (M-1) to Adams (started March 3 with utility relocation),
- Reconstruction of Dequindre from Burning Bush Street to West Utica in partnership with the Macomb County Road Commission and communities of Troy, Sterling Heights, Rochester Hills and Shelby Township,
- Reconstruction of Court Tower Blvd. from County Center Drive to Hospital Drive on the Oakland County government campus,
- Resurfacing of Rochester Road from Gerst Road to Bordman Road in Addison Twp.,
- Rehabilitation, resurfacing and adding a center left-turn lane on Maple Road from Farmington Road to Drake Road,
- Paving Clyde Road from Tipscio Lake Road to Hickory Ridge (beginning April 11),
- Heavy maintenance and repairs on four bridges,
- Culvert replacements on 11 Mile Road in Lyon Twp., Overbrook Road in Bloomfield Twp. and Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills.
Work will start on some projects as early as late March. Others will start at various points throughout the construction season.
Proposed 2016 RCOC Road Improve Projects (RIP)
The list includes only projects that that are expected to be constructed in 2016, not those where design or right of way acquisition (ROW) work is planned for 2016, but where construction will occur in a later year. To avoid confusion over the project costs, the costs listed are the estimated construction costs for each project, and do not include any preliminary engineering (PE) or ROW acquisition costs.
Reconstruction/Replace/Widen (completely reconstruct or replace existing infrastructure) Project Cost
- Dequindre Road, Burning Bush to Utica, Troy/Sterling Heights, Rochester Hills/Shelby Twp. $ 3,500,000
- Big Beaver Road, Woodward to Adams, Birmingham/Bloomfield Twp. $ 5,850,000
- Maple Rd./Orchard Lake Rd. intersection, West Bloomfield Twp. – reconstruction Paid for by Twp.
- Court Tower Blvd. South, Pontiac – reconstruct $ 1,500,000
Total Reconstruction/Replace/Widen: $10,850,000
Repair, Rehabilitate & Resurface (repair road base/add 3-4 inches new asphalt) Project Cost
- Maple Road, Drake to Farmington Road, West Bloomfield $ 3,750,000
- Rochester Road, Gerst to Bordman, Addison Twp. $ 2,000,000
Total Repair, Rehabilitate & Resurface: $ 5,750,000
Gravel Road Paving Project Cost
- Clyde Road, Tipsico Lake Rd. to Hickory Ridge, Highland Twp. $ 4,000,000
Intersection Improvement
- South Blvd. at Livernois, Troy/Roch. Hills – new signal, resurface east & west of intersection $1,000,000
- South Blvd. at Rochester Rd., Troy/Rochester Hills – new signal, resurface east & west of intersection $2,200,000
Total Intersection Improvement: $3,200,000
Bridge Maintenance Project Cost
- Crooks Road over Clinton River, Rochester Hills $ 65,000
- Orion Road over Paint Creek, Oakland Township $ 60,000
- Seymour Lake Road over Paint Creek, Oxford Twp. $ 50,000
- Adams Road over Clinton River, Rochester Hills $ 200,000
Total Bridge Maintenance: $ 375,000
Culverts Project Cost
- Overbrook Road over Rouge River, Bloomfield Twp. $ 400,000
- 11 Mile Road over Novi/Lyon Drain, Lyon Twp. $ 500,000
- Middlebelt Road over Unknown Creek (south of 11 Mile), Farmington Hills $ 775,000
Total Culverts: $ 1,675,000
Preventative Maintenance Project Cost
- Maple Rd., Pontiac Trail to Welch $ 600,000
- Oxbow Lake Rd., Cooley Lake to Cedar Island, White Lake Twp. $ 77,000
- White Lake Rd., Milford to Eagle, Highland Twp. $ 65,000
- Grange Hall Rd., Jossman to M-15, Groveland Twp. $ 275,000
- Groveland Rd., Jossman to M-15, Groveland Twp. $ 93,000
Total Preventative Maintenance: $ 1,110,000
Total cost of projects to be constructed in 2016: $ 26,960,000
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