Crews work to pave Clarkston Road between Adams and Lake George roads in Oakland Township.
By: Mary Beth Almond | Rochester Post | Published April 19, 2023
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — Clarkston Road, between Adams and Lake George roads in Oakland Township, has temporarily closed to through traffic through late June.
Craig Bryson, the spokesperson for the Road Commission for Oakland County, said the Road Commission issued a permit allowing a private developer to close that 1-mile section of road.
The closure, which began April 10, is necessary for the contractor, Ajax Paving, to pave the gravel road in conjunction with a private housing development.
The affected section of Clarkston Road carries approximately 1,240 vehicles per day, and Bryson said traffic will be detoured to Adams Road to Stoney Creek Road to Lake George Road, back to Clarkston Road, and vice versa. Access to homes and businesses within the closed section of Clarkston Road will be maintained throughout the closure.
Oakland Township Manager Adam Kline said he’s spoken to some township residents who have concerns about increased car speeds, but he doesn’t anticipate that being an issue.
“I know some residents who aren’t too excited because they believe speeds may increase, but if there is no sign on the gravel road, then it’s 55 mph, according to the state, so that road will probably drop in the speed limit after being paved,” he said. “It will just be a nicer road to drive on. It won’t cause the dust from the gravel anymore, and there is also less noise to the surrounding homes as people are traveling.”
Work on this section of road started in 2022, with the installation of storm sewers and drainage structure improvements, and it will wrap up with the paving of the road this spring. The developer paving the gravel road is saving the taxpayers quite a bit of money, according to Bryson, who said it typically costs about $3 million-$4 million for that type of project.
“The positive thing here, from our perspective, is we get a public road that was gravel paid at no tax dollar expenditure thanks to the developer,” he said.
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