Novi Road is fully open between 8 Mile and 9 Mile after a months-long reconstruction project that outlasted the start of the school year in both Northville and Novi.
The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) announced Wednesday, Sept. 2, that both directions of Novi Road are carrying traffic again. Northbound lanes had been closed since March 30, when Phase 3 of the reconstruction began.
The reopening came weeks later than the contractor had hoped. A July 28 update on the City of Novi's project page said the goal was to have the road open before school started. Northville and Novi schools resumed classes in late August with the road still shut, forcing commuters to stick with the detour: 8 Mile Road to Beck Road to 10 Mile Road and back to Novi Road.
Underground utility conflicts slowed the work. The city's project page noted June 2 that the contractor had encountered several underground utilities that were significantly slowing progress. By July 8, those obstructions had been cleared and traffic was shifted to the newly paved southbound side while crews finished the northbound lanes.
As we reported Aug. 14, the northbound closure was still in place at that time with a projected September reopening.
The road is open. But the RCOC's announcement did not specify whether punch-list items such as final pavement markings or sidewalk work remain.
The finished road includes new asphalt pavement, a continuous center left-turn lane, two northbound lanes and one southbound lane from the Rouge River and Allen Drive to 9 Mile Road, drainage improvements and ADA-compliant crosswalks. A new High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) pedestrian signal was installed north of Galway Drive.
Other Novi Road work continues
The Novi Road corridor is not entirely construction-free. The RCOC began preventive maintenance on the Novi Road bridge over the CSX railroad tracks, between 10 Mile Road and Grand River Avenue, on Aug. 17. One lane in each direction remains open, but sidewalks over the bridge are closed during outside-lane work. That project is expected to wrap up in late September.
Separately, 12 Mile Road between Novi Road and Haggerty Road has active Stage 1B construction, with one lane open in each direction. That work is part of an approximately $9 million project expected to finish in late fall.
Residents with questions about the Novi Road reconstruction can contact RCOC's Department of Customer Services at 877-858-4804 or [email protected].
