A $600 million list of current needs was released Monday by the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) and among the 93 construction projects were two pieces of infrastructure located in Oxford and Addison townships.
Trouble is, there’s no state money to pay for anything on this list
‘All of these are projects that should be done, but for which we have no funding currently,? said RCOC Spokesman Craig Bryson. ‘If something doesn’t happen funding-wise in Lansing, nothing will happen with these projects.?
A 3-mile stretch of Lakeville Rd. between Oxford Village and Rochester Rd. in Addison Township is in need of a ‘major resurfacing.? The estimated cost is $5.6 million.
These types of projects often involve repairing the road base, making drainage improvements, adding or extending turn lanes and adding 3-4 inches of new asphalt surface, according to Bryson.
‘It’s a much more in-depth project,? he said. ‘The fact that (Lakeville Road) needs (this type of work) suggests that it hasn’t been touched in quite a while.?
Also in need of attention is the Brewer Rd. bridge (which is actually a culvert) over Stoney Creek in Addison. It needs to be replaced and the estimated cost is $625,000.
Paying for these types of bridge projects is ‘real tricky? because they don’t qualify for any existing funding programs, according to Bryson.
‘The only way we can pay for these is with our state road funding,? he said. ?(And) we just don’t have any money available to do these kind of bridge replacements.?
Brewer Rd. is one of 16 bridges that needs to be replaced, according to the list.
In a nutshell, the $600 million list represents projects that need to be completed in order to preserve the county’s existing road system.
‘Ideally, they should happen within the next couple years,? Bryson said.
The list is being used by the road commission to illustrate why it believes an increase in state road funding is necessary.
‘We want to make sure that both the public and our legislators understand that even though we had a number of road construction projects going this year, it’s just the tip of the iceberg,? Bryson said.
By the end of this year’s construction season, the road commission expects to have initiated or completed about $50 million worth of road projects.
Although that’s a significant amount, Bryson said, ‘There is still a huge unmet need out there. This is an example of that need, this $600 million (list).?
More than 40 percent of the county’s road system is in ‘poor condition,? according to the road commission, and ‘that percentage is expected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.?
The road commission predicts that if current state funding levels remain as is, nearly two-thirds of county roads will be in poor condition by 2018.
RCOC officials are calling upon state legislators to address and resolve the need for increased road funding. ‘Our position is we are pointing out the need and it’s up to the legislature to decide how (meeting it) should be accomplished,? Bryson said.
Currently, the RCOC’s main source of funding comes from the Michigan Transportation Fund, which consists primarily of revenue derived from the state fuel tax and license plate fees. The state fuel tax is 19 cents per gallon.
In Oakland County, one penny of gas tax generates approximately $1.8 million for the road commission.
Property taxes collected by the county general government, by law, cannot be allocated to the road commission for roadwork