Starting Saturday, June 15, construction crews will take to Tienken Road in an expansion project to alleviate traffic congestion.
From Rochester Road east to Sheldon Road, Tienken Road will be widened to three lanes, with a middle turn lane throughout the corridor.
While expansion is the main goal, the project will also make a few upgrades in the area, too, says Andy Malczewski, designer for Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc., the local consulting engineer firm involved in the project.
There will be storm water improvements along the road as well as resurfacing of the Sheldon Road roundabout.
The roundabout will also sport new raised concrete crosswalks “to slow down traffic and make the pedestrians a little more visible,” Malczewski said.
Construction is slated to wrap up in November, with plans to complete the roundabout before the school year starts.
Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. held an informational open house on Thursday, May 30 at Stony Creek High School where residents could ask questions and voice concerns about the upcoming project.
Some residents are supportive of the Tienken Road expansion while others have their worries.
Comments from the community:
—“It’s going to be much safer and it’s going to improve traffic as well,” Neall Schroeder, of the Rochester Hills Planning Commission said. “It needs it,” he said of the upcoming changes.
Schroeder, who has lived in the area for 39 years, says this phase of expansion won’t affect him but the proposed sequel phase will.
—“I just want to say that I’ve lived (in Rochester Hills) close to 30 years and I have never, ever had a problem with the Oakland County Road Commission—they’re very good to work with.” —R.M., Anonymous resident, who was present at the open house meeting to voice concerns about storm drainage changes.
—“We know progress has to go ahead, we understand that. We both are not happy with the (roundabout)”—proposed in upcoming phases of construction.
Due to previous near-accidents in other local roundabouts, the Rochester Hills couple is not supportive of Michigan roundabouts and suggests further training to licensed state drivers and further speed control or speed bumps to improve safety around the traffic circles.
The anonymous couple is also concerned about construction traffic for the time being and the limited access of emergency vehicles into their condo subdivision.
—“As far as the whole project, we pushed for the three-lane (widening) versus the five-lane, and we got that, I’m pleased with that.
Everything looks good to me; I’m pretty happy with it. I wish we could really restrict the traffic that goes up and down that area, I just don’t think it’s necessary to make it a wide-open thoroughfare like Macomb County.
And I think what they’re doing kind of circumvents it; I wish they would lower the speed to 25 down the whole road.
Overall I think it’s going to be good, I just hope when they complete the project, they make it look good so it doesn’t hurt our property values.” —Tracy Mancour of Rochester Hills.
Construction closure details:
Rochester Road will remain open but on Tienken Road, from Rochester Road to Sheldon Road, traffic will be closed to nonresidential drivers. While the roundabout is being worked on, half will remain open, but those at the meeting advised against traveling through that area if drivers can avoid it.