Stretch Of Big Beaver Road To Reopen Early After Months-Long Reconstruction

BEVERLY HILLS (WWJ) - Good news for drivers in Oakland County: A portion of Big Beaver Rd. will reopen after 6 p.m. Tuesday — approximately two weeks ahead of schedule.

The mile-long stretch between Woodward Ave. and Adams was shut down for months for the $4.65 million construction project.

Craig Bryson, with the Road Commission for Oakland County, says the improvements should help traffic flow move more efficiently.

"It included replacement of a pretty substantial culvert that crosses a river (the Rough River) under the road there," he told WWJ's Zahra Huber, "as well as complete reconstruction of the road, drainage improvement, new retaining walls, concrete curb and gutter — lots of work there."

The road has been closed since April 12, first for major utility relocation, with construction beginning in late May. During construction, motorists were detoured to Woodward Ave. to Long Lake Road to Adams Road back to Big Beaver and vice versa.

"Big Beaver Road is a major corridor connecting east and west Oakland County, including linking communities west of Woodward with many destinations in Troy," said RCOC Commissioner Greg Jamian. "The improvements should help traffic flow move more efficiently; especially with the addition of a center left-turn lane between Woodward and Brookdale."

"We greatly appreciate the public's patience during the road closure. Closing the road helped ensure the project's early completion."

The road carries approximately 25,000 vehicles daily.