By: Mary Beth Almond | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published January 11, 2023
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — The emergency repair of a failing sanitary sewer on Long Lake Road has uncovered the need for more repairs, extending the project a couple of months in Bloomfield Township.
The project, just west of Kirk in the Hills Church and east of Franklin Road, involves replacing the sanitary sewer along the south side of Long Lake Road, between Groton Road and Pine Tree Trail, and across Long Lake Road to the north side of the road.
The sanitary sewer damage was found in 2020 as part of a state grant-funded program supporting the televising of a portion of the township’s sanitary sewer system.
The initial work on the sewer began in September and was expected to wrap up in mid-November of 2022, but township officials said there have been some delays.
The failing sanitary sewer was eventually replaced just before the holidays, but during the construction process, crews discovered the need to replace the water main within the project area.
“They ran into a water main conflict during the installation of the sanitary sewer, so they are going to be repairing and installing the new water main to replace the section they had to cut out,” said Noah Mehalski, the township’s director of public works.
Work on the water main is currently underway, and Mehalski said the roadway will be patched with cement in mid-January, and that will take approximately two to three weeks to cure.
The overall project also includes the repair of the sinkhole at Pine Tree Trail and the reopening of Pine Tree Trail to Long Lake Road, according to township officials.
The construction has forced the closure of Long Lake Road, between Groton Road and Pine Tree Trail, so residents living along those roads do not have access to Long Lake Road and will need to use Franklin Road. The detour for through traffic is Telegraph Road to Lone Pine Road to Franklin Road, back to Long Lake Road, and vice versa.
Craig Bryson, of the Road Commision for Oakland County, said this segment of Long Lake Road carries approximately 17,500 vehicles daily.
“It’s about a 3-mile area,” Bryson said.
During the work, Bryson said, access to homes and businesses on Long Lake Road will be maintained, but the safety path along Long Lake Road in the area will be closed for the duration of the project.
Mehalski anticipates that Long Lake Road will re-open for regular traffic prior to the end of January.
Township officials said they realize the project is a major inconvenience for residents and drivers during the road closure.
“It’s a very large project that’s very complicated, but we are in the home stretch at this point, so bear with us,” Mehalski said.
Restoration work — including the paving of the Pine Tree Trail and Groton Road approaches, replacement of the safety path along the south side of Long Lake, and replacement of the trees and grass — will not be completed until temperatures warm up in the spring.
Updates are available in the township e-newsletter, and on its website and social media channels.
Those with additional questions or concerns can contact Cory Borton in the engineering and environmental services department at (248) 594-2801 or cborton@bloomfieldtwp.org.