SOUTH LYON, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Road Commission for Oakland County has begun work on an $11 million construction project to overhaul Pontiac Trail/Lafayette Street from the railroad tracks to 9 Mile Road in South Lyon and Lyon Township.
The project, funded by state, county, federal and local tax dollars from the city of South Lyon, will reconstruct the drain system, overhaul the roadway and modernize traffic signals along the popular downtown corridor.
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Starting sometime in April, northbound travel and street parking on Pontiac Trail/Lafayette Street will be restricted for an extended period as work gets underway.
Craig Bryson with the Road Commission for Oakland County acknowledged the disruption ahead.
"The impact is going to be a challenge for the business community during the project," Bryson said.
The project scope includes reconstructing the drain system between Yerkes Drain and Detroit Street to reduce flooding, installing a storm sewer from Yerkes Drain south to University Avenue and reconstructing the roadway impacted by sewer construction as well as from south of Dorothy Street to the Yerkes Drain. Sections of Pontiac Trail/Lafayette Street not impacted by sewer construction will be milled and repaved with asphalt.
Additional improvements include extending the southbound right-turn lane on Pontiac Trail/Lafayette Street from north of 9 Mile Road to Princeton Drive, adding an eastbound right-turn lane on 9 Mile Road at Pontiac Trail/Lafayette Street, replacing curbs and gutters where needed and upgrading pedestrian crosswalks throughout the project to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Traffic signals at the Pontiac Trail/Lafayette Street intersections with Reynold Street Parkway, McHattie Street and 10 Mile Road/Lake Street are also slated for modernization in 2027.
Bryson said the flooding issues driving the project have been a long-standing concern for residents.
"The people in that area have been letting us know about the flooding problem there for a number of years and we've been trying to get to the point where we could address this, so this has been a long time coming," Bryson said.
South Lyon City Manager Douglas Baaki said the city has been preparing businesses for the disruption while emphasizing the project's necessity.
"We've been working with our business owners trying to let them know that we are supporting them during this time, but this is a needed project," Baaki said.
Baaki said the city waited years for federal funding to help the road commission address flooding problems caused by the current storm sewers and Yerkes Drain.
For businesses along the corridor, the closure raises concerns about customer traffic. Austin White, owner of South Lyon Cycle, is hopeful, but bracing for potential impact.
"It's a big project. It's definitely going to have an impact on everything going on," White said.
White says consumer traffic is the biggest concern.
"The sidewalks for the most part should remain unimpacted, so we'll still be able to have walking traffic, but getting people to continue coming downtown and making it easy for them to come downtown are our biggest projects that we have as residents and as business owners," White said.
Chrystal Russell, who owns Java House Cafe in Lyon Township with her husband, said she is cautiously watching how the construction will affect foot traffic to their business.
"It's not going to block off our business specifically, but South Lyon is a small town and I know that a lot of customers would normally be coming from the side of town that's going to be construction, so I'm not real thrilled about it. So we'll have to see how it turns out," Russell said.
All businesses along the corridor will remain open during construction. The city has distributed cones featuring QR codes that will direct drivers to detour information once closures happen.
Lyon Township resident Kathy Sulisz said she expects the detours to be manageable.
"It's gonna be inconvenient, but I think if we go down 11 Mile and we go down Milford Road, it won't be too bad," Sulisz said.
South Lyon resident Mark Cohn said he is prepared for the temporary disruption, hoping it helps with the noticeable increase in traffic to the area because of a rise in population.
"It’s set up to be a farm community and now it’s a kind of a big housing place. Everyone thinks it's a safe place, so I assume they want to move here. So looking forward to a little inconvenience, go around, slow down," Cohn said.
The contractor, project start date, expected completion date and specific road closure details have not yet been announced.
Details on detours and start date will be shared on the road commission's website.
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