The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) on Monday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of most travel lanes at the 14 Mile/Orchard Lake/Northwestern Highway project on the West Bloomfield Township/Farmington Hills border.
The project, which has been in the construction phase since 2014, now includes a roundabout at the 14 Mile/Orchard Lake intersection, the realignment of 14 Mile Road east of Northwestern Highway and the reconstruction of Northwestern Highway, 14 Mile and Orchard Lake in the "triangle" area.
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During this year's work, the 14 Mile/Orchard Lake Road intersection was closed and Northwestern Highway was limited to two lanes of traffic.
"This project has been in the works for many years, and it is great to see it come to fruition," stated RCOC Chairman Ron Fowkes. "This is one of the most significant projects that we have taken on in recent years. The new road configuration will ease congestion while improving safety and access to businesses throughout the area."
Most lanes of traffic are currently open and crews will continue behind-the-curb restoration work which may involve intermittent lane closures.
The work is part of the larger Northwestern Connector project, which is a partnership of RCOC, MDOT, West Bloomfield Township and the City of Farmington Hills. The Northwestern Connector project involves road improvements intended to help move traffic as Northwestern Highway would have if it had been constructed beyond Orchard Lake Road as originally planned in the 1950s.
Previously constructed Northwestern Connector project improvements include the roundabouts at 14 Mile and Farmington Road, Maple and Drake and Maple and Farmington as well as the widening of 14 Mile to three lanes west of Orchard Lake Road.
About the project
- Reconstruction of 14 Mile/Orchard Lake intersection as modern roundabout
- Realign 14 Mile Road east of Northwestern Highway
- Reconstruct Northwestern Highway between 14 Mile and Orchard Lake
- Reconstruct Orchard Lake Road as a four-lane boulevard from 14 Mile Road to north of the Northwestern Highway intersection
- Reconstruct 14 Mile Road from Orchard Lake Road to east of Northwestern Highway
-Installation of the High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) pedestrian crosswalk beacon system at the roundabout
-Right of way acquisition