NOVI, Mich. (WXYZ) — A massive water main project has some people who live nearby expressing frustration. The work is being done along Meadowbrook Rd. between 12 and 13 Mile Roads.
Some homeowners in Novi tell us they have no idea how long the construction project could end up taking.
“It’s defeating. I try to get here early. 5. 5:30. Anything to get a jump on them,” says bicyclist Christopher Nolan.
He tells us he often sees “Cranes. Bulldozers.”
We visited the location today to see where things stand on the installation of a 54-inch transmission water main.
The project comes after a previous pipe failure in October 2017, which impacted several communities. Among those who live off the road, are Yiannis and Pat Karamalis. They tell us a hole left at the end of their driveway caused damage to their son’s car. They say they’ve also experienced endless detours.
“Going to be almost 3 years. People don’t want to come because of the mud in the road. My son, something happened to his car,” says Yiannis.
We reached out to the Great Lakes Water Authority for more information and they sent the following statement:
The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) has completed the installation of approximately 7.5 miles of transmission main as part of the second phase of infrastructure improvements in the 14 Mile Loop Project. With work on the project mostly complete, the Authority is now starting to fill segments of the main for pressure testing, chlorination, and required water quality testing. Road restoration will be fully complete by August 2024. The new transmission main will provide redundancy in this area of the regional system.
In Novi, city leaders have been proactive in sharing information. The community relations team spoke with us today.
“When they closed the road in Spring of 2022, we were told Meadowbrook Rd. would re-open to thru traffic in late 2022,” says Sheryl Walsh.
Construction engineer Aaron Staup also tells us, “The wetland soil they came in contact with forced the pipe to be put on piles. A solid base. That whole area took another 6 months.”
On the website for the city, an update indicates the work should be complete in Fall 2024 and road restoration should start in the next few weeks, now that the pipe is in the ground.
The City of Novi says in addition to info on their website, you can contact them to receive their newsletter for the latest updates on this project.
