Publication select ▼
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — Long Lake Road, between Eastways and Squirrel roads in Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township, is closed through Aug. 15.
Craig Bryson, of the Road Commission for Oakland County, said the closure is necessary for the replacement of a 70-year-old culvert under the road that carries a tributary to the Rouge River.
The project will replace the existing culvert with a precast concrete culvert, including the installation of new culvert wing walls, and adding new signs, guardrails and asphalt paving in the area.
During the closure, the detour route is Long Lake Road to Squirrel Road to East Square Lake Road to Eastways Road, back to Long Lake Road, and vice versa.
Access to homes and businesses within the closed section of Long Lake Road will be maintained east and west of the culvert, but the road is completely closed at the culvert, which is located just east of Eastways Road.
Bryson said the project should be complete and Long Lake Road re-opened by Aug. 16, in time for Dream Cruise weekend.
But the work doesn’t stop there.
Starting around Aug. 19, the Road Commission will close Eastways Road to through traffic from Long Lake Road to Square Lake Road to replace a second 70-year-old culvert under Eastways that also carries the tributary to the Rouge River.
“There is a lifespan on these kinds of culverts — metal culverts — and eventually they rust and deteriorate. We inspect them on a regular basis to monitor that, and recent inspections indicated both of them were starting to deteriorate, which is to be expected when they get beyond 50 years or so. It’s not a surprise that they are at the end of their useful life, and we want to get them replaced before they get to the point where there is any danger of them collapsing — they are not at that point now, but we want to get them before they get to that point,” Bryson said.
During the Eastways Road closure, the detour will be Long Lake Road to Squirrel Road to East Square Lake Road, back to Eastways Road and vice versa. Access to homes will be maintained north and south of the closure.
Both projects are funded by the Road Commission and combined cost approximately $903,000 from the Road Commission’s general operating fund.
“Our general operating funds are generated from the state gas tax and vehicle registration fees, primarily,” Bryson said.
Both culverts are being replaced by DiPonio Contracting Inc. of Shelby Township.
Bryson said this segment of Long Lake Road carries approximately 9,900 vehicles daily, and Eastways Road carries approximately 4,500 vehicles daily.
“It’s a key access point for a lot of neighborhoods both east and west of there,” he explained. “We appreciate the public’s patience while we get this replaced and get a nice new culvert that should last, hopefully, another 70 years.”
For more information on the project, visit the Long Lake Road and Eastways Road culvert replacements, page in the “Road Projects” section of the Road Commission website, www.rcocweb.org, email dcsmail@rcoc.org or call (877) 858-4804 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.
You May Also Be Interested In
