Walled Lake uses Tri-party money for major projects

The Walled Lake City Council has earmarked its 2011 Tri-party funds toward a pair of major road projects including work at the Pontiac Trail and Maple Road intersection and the eventual widening of Maple Road.

The council authorized the disbursement and projects at its May 3 meeting.

The Tri-party program, in effect since 1989, allows local communities to decide the nature of projects to be funded equally by the municipality, road commission and county. Such requests typically include: widening intersections, adding turn lanes, drain improvements, signal installations, curb or shoulder work, and widening roads. Projects are identified based on residential complaints, input from local officials and Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) recommendations.

The council authorized $233,200 of the $410,000 available funds for the replacement of deteriorated concrete at the intersection of Pontiac Trail and Maple Road. The city’s share of project cost is pegged at $78,000.

“Even though this is a county project, it’s vitally important to our businesses and community at large because the roadway is so heavily traveled, so it was deemed a priority,” said Walled Lake Department of Public Works Director Loyd Cureton.

The remaining $177,000 in Tri-party funds will be reserved and programmed toward the widening of Maple Road at some point in the future.

“No one knows when it will go, but we must begin banking for the required match; however, if between now and then a new project comes up that’s more important, we can always change direction,” Cureton said.

The Tri-party program may be at risk again this year, according to RCOC Spokesperson Craig Bryson. The RCOC informed Walled Lake in 2009 to forego widening West Maple to the city limits with Tri-party dollars and pursue other realistic projects since the program was on the cusp of elimination.

The county encouraged communities to spend what was allocated rather than risk losing it. At the time, Walled Lake didn’t have a project to use the funding on and set aside $381,000 to widen the West Maple thoroughfare. However, the city was compelled to reprogram the funds to facilitate the Pontiac Trail and Maple work, a $2.3 million project.

The Pontiac Trail and Maple intersection project is expected to be completed by next spring.

“It’s a full depth replacement and a significant project,” Cureton said.