Politics & Government

Lanes Officially Closed at Avon and Livernois Intersection

Workers were on the scene Friday afternoon to redesign the intersection, allowing one lane of traffic at a time in all four directions.

The backups have begun.

Crews from the Road Commission for Oakland County started work Friday morning on redesigning the intersection of Avon and Livernois roads in Rochester Hills. Their work involved lane closures in all four directions that will remain until bridges on both roads are replaced in 2013.

Starting now, traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction at the already-busy intersection. When eastbound Avon Road traffic is stopped at the signal, westbound traffic will be allowed to go through and vice versa.

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When northbound Livernois traffic is stopped at the signal, southbound traffic will be allowed to go through and vice versa.

At 2 p.m. Friday, workers were still on the scene, marking the new lines and adjusting the traffic signals. Westbound Avon Road traffic was backed up more than a quarter-mile at the intersection, almost to Rochester College. About eight cars were allowed through the signal at a time.

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“We recognize that this will cause a significant disruption of traffic flow in this area and inconvenience residents and businesses,” RCOC Managing Director Brent Bair said. “However, because of the deterioration of both bridges, it simply is no longer safe to allow traffic on all lanes of either bridge.”

The bridges are inspected every three months. A recent inspection of the bridges. Rochester Hills leaders expressed their frustration and said they would work to move up the timetable for the bridge replacement.

The Avon Road bridge is being replaced as part of the state's Local Bridge program. The road commission is applying for funding from the same source to replace the Livernois Road bridge; if that funding is approved, that bridge would be replaced the next year, in 2014.

Anticipating widespread traffic congestion, Rochester Community Schools said this week it would look at readjusting bus stop times for students who attend Hamlin, University Hills, McGregor and Meadow Brook elementary schools, as well as West Middle School and Rochester High School. Those new times should be determined by next Wednesday, the school district said.


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