Ferndale to repair local streets in last work of 10-year bond

FERNDALE — The Ferndale City Council has approved construction work for its pavement improvement program, the last of which has been earmarked from a 10-year bond.

At its Feb. 10 meeting, council approved a bid award for the 2025 pavement improvement program in the amount of $3,236,774.99 to Ajax Paving Industries.

The construction covers 6.19 miles of residential streets with resurfacing, curb and gutter replacements, sidewalk improvements, drainage structures, pavement markings and Americans with Disabilities Act ramps.

This will be the last year of road work funded by the bond passed by voters in 2015, which only covered residential streets. By the end of this project year, every residential street will have received improvements over the 10-year timeline.

“This will be the last year that the road bond is going to be available,” Council member Greg Pawlica said. “If we want to do any future local roads, the voters would have to approve a new bond or we’d have to use general fund money.”

The first group of streets is Bermuda between Horton and Mapledale; Gainsboro between Woodward Heights and Sylvan; Myrtle from the dead end to Wolcott; Pleasant from the dead end to Wolcott; Orchard from the dead end to Bennett; West Troy from Allen to Woodward; and Wordsworth from the dead end to Wanda.

The second group is Orchard from Bennett to Hilton; Earle from the city limit to Central; Withington from Catalpa to Pinecrest; Vester from Woodward to Bermuda; Pearson from Pinecrest to Livernois; West Hazelhurst from Livernois to Allen; and Pearson from Allen to Woodward.

The third group is Wolcott from Woodward Heights to Mapledale; Goodrich from Woodward Heights to East 10 Mile; East Lewiston from Hilton to Bonner; Rosewood from Hilton to Farrow; Farmdale from Marshall to West Nine Mile; College from Wanda to West End; University from Wanda to West End; and Channing from the dead end to Wanda.

The fourth and final group of streets is Huron from Woodward Heights to East 10 Mile; East Drayton from Hilton to Bonner; Central from West Nine Mile to West Lewiston; Martin from Orchard to Woodward Heights; and West End from Eight Mile to Nine Mile.

Construction is expected to begin in late April, with construction estimated to be completed in October.

Director of Public Works James Jameson stated that, in the best case scenario, the streets will last 20 years, but in all likelihood some of the streets will be failing before then. He expects the city to revisit the conditions of the streets in 2030.

Jameson also noted that several major roads in Ferndale, such as Hilton Road, are in need of repairs, since the bond could not cover those costs.

“The Hilton Road repairs that we got grant funding for, that’s a good example of a major street that’s outside of that program. So, we’re going to be reaching out for grant funding through SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments), and those are like federal dollars that come down through (Oakland) County,” he said. “Two construction seasons from now, we have Nine Mile from Woodward to Livernois planned. There’s another stretch of Hilton that’s a little bit older, and those we usually wait until we can get grant funding.”