Map by Jason Clancy Major construction on Telegraph is slated to begin later this month and in early April. The Michigan Department of Transportation anticipates the $51 million projects to be completed by December.

By Erin McClary
C & G Staff Writer

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — Nothing says spring like orange barrels. But for those who count on Telegraph for their daily commute, the sight may scream, “find an alternate route.”

Later this month, the Michigan Department of Transportation will prepare to rip up sections of Telegraph between Eight Mile and Orchard Lake roads. The work is being done in three projects, but all will begin in either late March or early April, said Rob Morosi, spokesperson for MDOT.

The construction will affect approximately 16 miles of the corridor, hindering traffic the most in the communities of Southfield, Bingham Farms and Bloomfield Township. During peak hours of the weekdays — between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. — some of the most frequently traveled sections of Telegraph will be down to two lanes on both sides.

Mobilization of the first Telegraph project — in Southfield, from Eight Mile to I-696 — will begin March 15. “We’ll be setting up hundreds of barrels and hundreds of signs, getting everything ready for March 22,” Morosi said.

The Southfield project, which will endure massive resurfacing, is a $9 million investment. Northbound construction is slated to begin March 22, and work on the southbound side should begin March 29.

The second project, stretching from I-696 to Long Lake, is the largest. Both the northbound and southbound sides of Telegraph will be completely reconstructed. The work on the second section will cost $35 million.

Both of those projects are being paid for by 80 percent federal funding and 20 percent state funding.

The third project, from Square Lake to Orchard Lake, costs $7 million — all of which is being paid for through federal stimulus money, Morosi said. The northbound side of the third section is being completely reconstructed, while the southbound side will undergo only pavement patching.

“On the southbound side, the condition is much better” between Square Lake and Orchard Lake, Morosi said. “There will be a certain degree of ripping up (the southbound side of) the road, but not to the extent of the northbound side. We’re completely rebuilding the northbound lanes.”

Only two lanes of northbound Telegraph will be open to commuters during third project.

In its entirety, the Telegraph construction will cost $51 million. MDOT anticipates everything to be completed by December. Official start dates for the second and third projects were not available, but Morosi anticipates they’ll begin in early April.

For the road portion of the work, Bloomfield Township, one of the most affected communities, will not spend a penny, said township Public Works Director Tom Trice. “We’re not directly involved,” he said. “We have a piece of water main that’s being put in, but that’s about the extent of the job we have, other than moving some trees.”

By installing its water main during the road construction, Bloomfield Township will “save a ton of money,” said Morosi.

“What we do to help Bloomfield Township is we include (the sewer work) in our project at a competitive bid,” he explained.

To help alleviate the strain construction might put on businesses along Telegraph during the construction, MDOT is doing all three projects at one time, and — as far as budgeting goes — in one year. “We’ll do it in one year, and then we’ll step away.”

Based on funding issues coming up in 2011, it’s far safer for MDOT to budget the construction costs with the money it already knows it’s getting — not money it may or may not get in 2011. Normally, Morosi said, they would’ve done the three projects over a three-year span.

“The money was always very, very vague,” he said. “Right now, U.S. Congress has passed an extension of highway trust funds, which allows us to continue with 2010 projects.”

Between Eight Mile and Orchard Lake roads, the number of motorists who use Telegraph per day varies, but recent studies show about 79,000 in the area from Maple to Quarton, and 58,000 near the Southfield/Detroit border at Eight Mile.

“The Telegraph projects are high-impact projects because they affect the most amount of motorists and they’re taking place from spring, through summer, through fall,” Morosi said, explaining why the projects are high up in this year’s budgeting.

MDOT expects some of the work on Telegraph to be completed earlier than December.