By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Once Mother Nature decides that winter is over and the ground has thawed, crews will be working feverishly to transform Lapeer Road into a Telegraph-esque thoroughfare.
Utility crews have already been working to reposition and relocate electrical lines and various items that may prove to be a hindrance throughout M-24’s facelift.
On Monday, the Orion Township Board approved a noise permit so that construction crews could work at night and during the weekends.
The goal for the $29 million project is to have it completed in 2016 but with the current noise ordinance, there was uncertainty that the project would be completed on time.
‘There’s concern that they’re not going to be able to complete the project in one construction season,? Supervisor Chris Barnett said. ‘It would really put a strain on us because the Baldwin Road project is going to start a year from now.?
Ordinance 135, the noise ordinance, lays out a variety of noise issues and circumstances ranging from residential to industrial. Section 7A deals with construction noise and says that no person shall use industrial machinery (bulldozers, pavement breakers, paving machines etc.) or any other mechanical apparatus in excess of 20 horsepower between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Additionally, it restricts any work to be done on Sunday.
In order for milling and paving crews to work outside of those times, a permit had to be approved. In order to receive the permit, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) had to demonstrate that complying to the ordinance would result in unreasonable hardship and there are no reasonable means of limiting the creation of such noise.
Senior contracts engineer for MDOT, Jeffery Pitt, wrote a letter to Barnett stating because M-24 will have two southbound lanes open in the morning and two northbound lanes open in the afternoon, the permit is a necessity.
‘In order to maintain these lanes during these times, it is necessary to allow the contractor to work at night and on weekends to complete construction in one season,? Pitt wrote. ‘Due to the heavy traffic volumes along M-24, allowing night and weekend work provides the best opportunity to complete the work and minimize the overall impact to motorists in this area.?
During the course of the project which will span from Harmon Road north to Goldengate, MDOT has put in provisions so that no work will be done during Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods. Additionally, they’re coordinating with the Palace of Auburn Hills during major events at the venue.
‘They’re going to work with us. They’re not going to choose to mill next to Roundtree subdivision at two in the morning,? Supervisor Barnett said at Monday’s meeting. ‘If we do get complaints I already talk to Jeff, the project manager, and he said that they’ll stop working after hours.?
It was later noted in the meeting by Trustee Neal Porter that technically MDOT didn’t have to apply for a such a permit because the ordinance has an exemption extending to activities or operations of government units or agencies. But because the project deals with contract workers as well, officials felt it appropriate to err on the side of caution and inform the board.
The project will also be addressing curb and gutter replacement, drainage improvements, and safety path construction. In addition, it will include relocation of directional crossovers, the construction of turning lanes and a modernization of traffic signals, according to MDOT.