The Road Commission for Oakland County starts work on July 5 to widen and reconfigure the intersection of Baldwin and Brown Roads in Orion Township.
The project will realign the intersection to allow westbound traffic on Brown to make direct left turns onto southbound Baldwin, by adding two left-turn lanes to westbound Brown, as well as a right turn lane.
Currently, traffic must turn right and travel north on Baldwin before making a U-turn to go south on Baldwin.
Also, the center turnaround on Baldwin, north of Brown, is being widened to allow northbound Baldwin traffic easier access to either the shopping center or to make a U-turn to go south on Baldwin.
There will be occasional lane closures until approximately Aug. 4, while signal work is completed. Once that is done, road work will begin.
At that point, southbound Baldwin, north of Brown, will be reduced to one lane. From Aug. 4 to approximately Aug. 25, left turns will be prohibited from southbound Baldwin to eastbound Brown.
The improved intersection is expected to be fully open to traffic approximately on Sept. 15, with the entire project to be completed approximately by Sept. 29.
The Orion Township Board recently voted to approve partial funding of the project, splitting 20 percent of the project’s cost with the RCOC.
The project’s total cost is estimated at about $350,000, and eighty percent is being covered by a federal safety enhancement grant.
According to the RCOC, the section of Baldwin Road being improved carries approximately 27,000 vehicles per day, and the area at Brown and Baldwin carries about 17,000 vehicles per day.
Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk anticipates the project will bring some relief for motorists in that congested area near Great Lakes Crossing Mall.
‘It should be a drastic improvement to that intersection,? he said.
The RCOC is also working on two projects in the area of Squirrel and Dutton Roads.
Until Aug. 1, from Squirrel and Dutton Roads to Silverbell Road, the formerly gravel road will be closed, while developer Biltmore Homes paves the road in conjunction with its development of a subdivision along the road.
During the closure, the detour is Dutton to Adams, to Silverbell and back to Squirrel, and vice versa.
Also, the RCOC will be replacing a culvert under the roadway from Dutton and Squirrel to Adams Road. The road will be closed for one day, July 15.
The detour is Bald Mountain to Silverbell to Adams, and vice versa.