When its contractor starts resurfacing roads in April, the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) will be one of the first road agencies in the state to start spending the new road funding provided by the state Legislature.
Recently, the Legislature agreed to provide $175 million in additional road funding to agencies across the state. RCOC’s share of that money is $7 million. The RCOC Board of Road Commissioners approved devoting some of that new money to the agency’s 2018 preservation overlay program at its March 8 meeting.
“We immediately expanded our ‘preservation overlay’ program and instructed our contractor to start work as soon as weather allows,” explained RCOC Chairman Eric Wilson. The preservation overlay program involves simple resurfacing projects that can be done quickly and easily.
“Of the $7 million in additional funding we’re receiving, we will put $4 million into the preservation overlay program,” noted RCOC Vice Chairman Greg Jamian. “The remaining $3 million will go into our spot resurfacing and concrete repair programs. Every penny of the new funding will go right into the surfaces of our paved roads.”
In all, RCOC will invest more than $17.5 million in the preservation overlay program this year (including the additional $4 million in state funding and$4.5 million worth projects funded primarily with federal funds) – far more than ever before.
RCOC Commissioner Ron Fowkes noted this work will make a serious dent in the pothole problem in the county. “Our number-one goal right now is to repair the roads that saw the most potholes this year,” he said. “We are putting all available dollars toward that goal. This is the real solution to the potholes.”
An exact schedule for the project has not been established. Each preservation overlay project involves about three days of work, though the work typically occurs over about a two-week period.
Here is the list of roads segments to be resurfaced as part of the 2018 preservation overlay program:
Preservation overlay projects paid for primarily with federal funds
Milford Road, south Rose Twp. border to north Rose Twp. border, Rose Twp.
Fenton Road, west Rose Twp. border to Milford Road, Rose Twp.
Grange Hall Road, west county line to Fish Lake Road, Holly Twp.
Davisburg Road, Milford Road to Andersonville Road, Rose Twp. & Springfield Twp.
East Holly Road, Rood Road to I-75, Holly Twp. & Springfield Twp.
Grange Hall Road, Fagan Road to I-75, Holly Twp.
McGinnis Road, Grange Hall Road to .75 miles east (end of pavement), Groveland Twp.
RCOC-funded overlays:
South Blvd., Opdyke to .4 miles east in Bloomfield Twp./Auburn Hills
Wardlow, Milford to Harvey Lake in Highland Twp.
Andersonville, 350 feet west of Nelsey to Northwest Court in Independence & Springfield twps.
Big Lake, Hillsboro to Andersonville in Springfield Twp. (paid for by the township)
Elizabeth Lake Road, Cooley Lake to Cass Lake in Waterford Twp.
Commerce, Hiller to Orchard Lake in West Bloomfield Twp. & Orchard Lake Village (Orchard Lake Village is contributing)
Hiller, Commerce to Old Orchard Trail in West Bloomfield Twp. (West Bloomfield Twp. is contributing)
Bogie Lake, Cooley Lake to M-59 in White Lake Twp.
Wixom, west of Glengary to Milford Village limits, Commerce Twp. & Milford Twp.
South Commerce, Pontiac Trail to Oakley Park in Walled Lake & Commerce Twp.
Commerce, South Duck Lake to Bogie Lake in Commerce Twp.
Haggerty, 10 Mile to Pontiac Trail in Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield Twp. & Commerce Twp.
Pontiac Trail, 11 Mile to Silver Lake in South Lyon & Lyon Twp.
Pontiac Trail, Milford to City of Wixom limits, Lyon Twp. & Milford Twp.
Quarton, Telegraph to Lahser in Bloomfield Twp.
14 Mile, Franklin to Bloomfield Hills city limits in Bloomfield Twp. & Franklin Village
Hickory Grove, Franklin to Lahser in Bloomfield Twp. (Bloomfield Twp. is contributing)
Andover, Long Lake south to concrete section in Bloomfield Twp. (Bloomfield Twp. is contributing)
Lincoln, Telegraph to Lahser in Bloomfield Twp. (Bloomfield Twp. is contributing)
Franklin, 14 Mile to Maple in Bloomfield Twp. & Franklin Village
10 Mile, 330 feet west of Research to Sinacola in Farmington Hills
10 Mile, Telegraph to 1,000 feet east of Orchard Lake in Farmington Hills
Greenfield, 13 Mile to 14 Mile in Beverly Hills & Royal Oak (Beverly Hills and Royal Oak are both contributing)
Clarkston, Eston to M-24 in Independence Twp. & Orion Twp.
Stoney Creek, Orion to Rochester in Orion Twp. & Oakland Twp.
Maple, Haggerty to Meijer driveway in Commerce Twp.
