The M-24 construction project bid was awarded to Dan’s Excavating Inc. on Feb. 21 by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Dan’s Excavating is a Shelby Township-based company that handles large scale, high profile underground projects, site preparation, road construction and structural concrete work.
The 4.7 mile project will extend from Goldengate St. in Lake Orion to just north of Harriet St. in Oxford Village. No exact start date has been set yet, but work should begin sometime in April, once frost law restrictions have removed. Work will continue until November 2020.
In the meantime, Consumers Energy is set to resume its gas line relocation work this week, after a required month-long layoff. They will pick up where they left off at the end of January, working north of Burdick St. to Harriet St. Expect intermittent lane closures in this section during the day. There is less work to do, so the closures shouldn’t be as long or disruptive, Village Manager Joe Madore explained at the State of the Community Breakfast on Feb. 20.
AT&T is wrapping up its utility work as well. For months, the right lane in front of Oxford Bank and Stanton St. have been closed as AT&T replaced an underground vault. The new vault has been installed. The work there should finish this week. Once complete, the concrete barriers will be removed and the right lane will be open again.
The M-24 construction project was initiated by MDOT. MDOT is responsible for Michigan’s 9,669-mile state highway system, comprised of all M, I and US routes. “This project was MDOT’s idea, it’s their plan, they are doing this project regardless,” Madore said.
Oxford Village is taking advantage of the opportunity to renovate the streetscape downtown while the street is torn up. “It adds a little more work to the project, but I think the end result is going to be really nice.”
The total cost to the village is $657,749.48, which will be made debt-free. The total project cost is $36,046,339.47.
MDOT will host a public information session at Oxford High School’s Performing Arts Lobby at 745 N. Oxford Rd. on Wednesday, March 25 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. “This will be an open format type of meeting where residents can come in, look at pictures, and ask questions but we will not be doing any formal presentation,” said Oxford Village Communications Liaison Nicole Edwards-Rankin.
MDOT recently launched its own project website, RestoreM24.info. This is not to be confused with the village’s own website, RestoreM-24.com. Both are helpful sources of information and updates regarding the project.
From April, townhall meetings will continue in the community room at the village offices at 22 W. Burdick St. the third Monday of every month at 6 p.m.