Avon Road construction expected to wrap in August

ROCHESTER HILLS/SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Construction in the Avon Road corridor continues to cause road closures on the border of Rochester Hills and Shelby Township as crews work to complete a series of infrastructure improvements by August.

The Great Lakes Water Authority and the Road Commission for Oakland County have been working together over the past two years to coordinate roadway and drinking water infrastructure improvements — including the installation of a 96-inch GLWA water transmission main, the removal and replacement of a bridge, pedestrian safety upgrades, and the construction of two roundabouts.

The latest phase of the project, which kicked off in late March, closed the intersection of 23 Mile and Dequindre to through traffic. Motorists have also been navigating the closure of Avon Road between the Avon and Dequindre Road roundabout to just west of the intersection of 23 Mile and Dequindre since last December.

During the closures, drivers are urged to follow the detour route of Dequindre Road to Hamlin Road, east to Ryan Road, north to 23 Mile Road, east to Shelby Road, north to 24 Mile Road and west back to Dequindre Road, and vice versa.

The affected areas are expected to reopen to traffic in August, when the project is slated for completion.

Until then, people can watch the progress of the construction via a new work zone camera that Road Commission spokesperson Craig Bryson said takes a photo every 15 minutes between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Viewers can access the camera on the Road Commission’s website, www.rcocweb.org, by clicking on the “Avon/Dequindre Road Work Zone Camera” link in the “Popular Resources” section at the bottom of the home page.

The overall infrastructure improvements, officials said, will increase the reliability of the water authority’s 96-inch water main, which serves multiple communities.

Cheryl Porter, the chief operating officer for the GLWA, said the new 96-inch water transmission main is of the utmost importance.

“This will provide treated drinking water to more than a million people in Oakland, Macomb and Lapeer counties,” she said in a statement.

The project will also improve access for operations and maintenance, relocate the water main outside of businesses and backyards, and improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety at critical intersections, according to officials.

The roundabouts are designed to slow traffic while increasing vehicle capacity at the Avon and Dequindre intersection by 30% to 50%, significantly reducing the likelihood of serious injury and fatal crashes.

This particular section of Avon Road carries approximately 17,300 vehicles daily, according to the Road Commission. Dequindre Road north of Avon Road carries about 19,000 vehicles daily, while Dequindre south of Avon carries about 13,000 vehicles daily.

The improvements, Bryson said, were coordinated in an effort to avoid disrupting new road pavement, leverage project resources and lessen temporary traffic impacts.

“We’re pretty pleased with the way this cooperation has gone with the Great Lakes Water Authority and us. It’s a great example of two different governmental agencies working together to accomplish something that ultimately serves the public in a greater way by providing a huge new water main and also improving the roads where the water main is going. It’s really a very productive and positive partnership, and we’re very pleased with the way it has gone,” he said.

The $8.7 million project is funded with federal, Road Commission and GLWA dollars. Rochester, Rochester Hills, Shelby Township and the Macomb County Department of Roads are also partners in the multiphase project.

For more information, visit glwater.org/96inchwatermain, www.rcocweb.org/189/Road-Projects, or call (877) 237-7311.