Oakland County Launches $56.8M Road Construction Season With 19 Projects

The Road Commission for Oakland County started its 2026 building season. Nineteen projects will cost $56.8 million total., as shared by Click on Detroit. Work includes fresh pavement, a traffic circle, new bridges, and pipe fixes across the county.

Five big paving jobs will fix damaged bases before adding 3 to 4 inches of asphalt on top. Greenfield Road runs from Lincoln to 12 Mile through Southfield, Berkley, and Oak Park—the largest job at $14.2 million. Pontiac Trail stretches from 9 Mile to the CSX railroad tracks in South Lyon and Lyon Township, budgeted at $11.6 million.

Two pieces of 12 Mile Road get new surfaces. One runs from Novi to Farmington in Novi and Farmington Hills—$10.8 million. Another goes from Orchard Lake to Autumn Ridge in Farmington Hills for $3.4 million.

Novi Road between 8 Mile and 9 Mile in Novi and Northville is a two-year job. It began in 2025 and will cost $6.8 million.

"Once again this year, we're doing everything we can to spread our funding across as many roads as possible, with numerous safety, pavement-condition and bridge and culvert improvement projects," said Dennis Kolar, managing director of the commission. "As always, during construction season, there will be some inconvenience for motorists as we improve the roads, but that short-term pain will result in long-term improvements to the road system."

Crews will construct a roundabout where Wixom, Duck Lake, and Sleeth meet in Milford and Commerce townships. Cost: $2.2 million. Pontiac Lake Road from Margie to Kingston in White Lake Township gets paved for $5.8 million, starting this year but wrapping up in 2027.

Three bridges need replacing. The Deerhill Street crossing over Deer Lake Creek in Independence Township costs $1.5 million. Two spans in Waterford Township over the Clinton River will be rebuilt as one $2.9 million project—the Emburke Street bridge becomes a walkway only.

Three bridge repairs happen as one $1.7 million job. Crews fix crossings on 14 Mile Road, Franklin Road, and Inkster Road over the Rouge River in Franklin, Bloomfield Township, and West Bloomfield Township.

Five pipe projects range from $100,000 to $1.9 million each. The priciest tackles Walnut Lake Road over the Rouge River in West Bloomfield Township, which includes repaving from Orchard Lake to Middlebelt.