OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) announced its plan to improve the water main along 14 Mile Road in Oakland County.
There have been four major breaks in the last seven years in the water main along 14 Mile Road, causing major disruption for the surrounding communities.
On July 21, GLWA announced its $81 million investment to improve the water main that’s been causing headaches for many Oakland County residents.
“The repeated water main breaks along the 14 Mile corridor made it clear that we need a more comprehensive approach to ensuring the level of service our communities need and deserve,” said Suzanne R. Coffey, P.E., Chief Executive Officer, GLWA. “This investment reflects our commitment to replacing aging infrastructure, strengthening system operation, and deploying advanced monitoring technology so we can identify problems earlier and potentially reduce future disruptions.”
Project phases
The work along 14 Mile Road will be in two phases. Here’s a breakdown:
Phase One
GLWA crews are expected to replace three miles of 48-inch prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) with a 54-inch steel pipe. This will be located along 14 Mile Road from just west of Haggerty Road to just east of Farmington Road.
Construction for phase one begins mid-November and will run until early 2028.
Phase Two
During phase two of the project, GLWA crews are expected to inspect three miles of the 54-inch PCCP along 14 Mile Road from just east of Farmington Road to GLWA’s Franklin Pump Station. Crews will also renew pipe segments during inspection and install an Acoustic Fiber Optic Monitoring System within the entire three-mile segment of PCCP.
Phase two will begin once phase one is complete.
14 Mile traffic
GLWA said traffic will be impacted along 14 Mile Road in the construction area. Details on the traffic plan have not yet been announced.
There will be a series of public open houses to keep impacted communities informed about the project. GLWA will release details on the open houses soon.
Water impact
According to GLWA, there should be little to no impact on water service during construction. Water will be in service for household and business use during construction.
You can watch GLWA’s announcement on July 21 in the video below