Oakland County has approved a $25 million program to resurface more than 90 miles of roads in the county in 2019.
The preservation overlay program involves simple resurfacing with two inches of asphalt of roads that are in fair condition. The program provides a smooth, new road surface and extends the life of the road by five to 10 years.
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“This Board is committed to doing everything we can, with the resources available, to improve the roads,” stated RCOC Chairman Greg Jamian. “We believe the preservation overlay program is the best bang for the dollars and the best way to improve as many roads as possibly as quickly as we can.”
Jamian noted that while this is the largest-ever preservation overlay contract, the need on RCOC roads remains great.
“We are taking a step in the right direction with this contract,” he said. “However, due to Michigan’s decades of under-funding its roads, the needs on our roads remains far larger than this contract.”
The preservation overlay projects typically involve minimal milling of the road surface (grinding off sections of bad pavement) and the application of the new asphalt.
They usually involve about three days worth of work over about a two-week period. During the three days of work, one lane of the road is closed, and traffic is directed by flaggers.
“This program allows us to get in and out quickly,” Jamian noted. “However, there still will be disruption of traffic, and, when this work starts, we ask for motorists’ patience as we work to improve the roads.”
He added the contract calls for projects in all sectors of the county. Work will take place in the spring and summer.