Drivers on 12 Mile Road in Novi are down to one lane in each direction as crews that started Aug. 3 tear up pavement and begin installing ADA-compliant crosswalks, pedestrian signals and upgraded SMART bus stops along the corridor.
The work is part of Phase 1 of a two-year, approximately $12 million project led by the Road Commission for Oakland County in partnership with Novi and Farmington Hills. Cadillac Asphalt of Farmington Hills is the contractor. The project stretches 5.5 miles from Novi Road to Farmington Road and carries between 28,000 and 30,000 vehicles daily, according to the city of Novi's project page.
Phase 1 covers two segments: Novi Road to Haggerty Road, where crews started Aug. 3, and Drake Road to Farmington Road, where work began July 13 in Farmington Hills. The scope goes beyond simple repaving. Crews will patch concrete on 12 Mile west of M-5 to Novi Road, mill and repave with asphalt east of M-5, install push-button pedestrian-crosswalk signals, upgrade SMART bus stops and install a HAWK pedestrian-crossing beacon at the White Plains Drive crossing, according to an RCOC press release.
One lane remains open in each direction. Business and residential access will be maintained throughout construction. Phase 1 is projected for completion by mid-November, with Phase 2, covering Haggerty Road to Drake Road, set to begin in spring 2027.
14 Mile Road water main work running past deadline
Separately, eastbound 14 Mile Road from M-5 to East Lake Drive remains closed as the Great Lakes Water Authority finishes emergency water main restoration work affecting Novi, Commerce Township and Walled Lake. Westbound lanes are mostly open with periodic closures.
The project has already blown past its original deadline. GLWA officials said in May that construction would be complete by the end of June, but that target passed. GLWA Project Manager Sean Grant said at a July 21 press conference that the emergency nature of the original repair meant full road restoration plans weren't ready at the start, which delayed an agreement with RCOC on what the finished road surface would look like, WXYZ reported.
As of July 21, GLWA said the restoration should wrap up within a few weeks, with landscaping expected in late August or early September.
The closures have hit local businesses. Zaid Yalda, part-owner of Maples Bar & Bistro and Maples Golf Club on 14 Mile Road, told WXYZ in July that customers cannot reach the restaurant because of cones and construction, calling it "very very difficult to maintain" operations with staff and bills to pay.
Novi Road still closed northbound
Northbound Novi Road between 8 Mile Road and 9 Mile Road also remains closed for a separate RCOC reconstruction project. Southbound traffic is open. The northbound detour runs 8 Mile Road to Beck Road to 10 Mile Road back to Novi Road. As we reported July 24, the contractor hopes to reopen Novi Road before school starts this fall.
Residents with questions about the 12 Mile Road project can contact RCOC at 877-858-4804, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., or email [email protected].
