Meeting tomorrow to address 2012 Cooley Lake work

A Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) public information meeting will be held tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 15 between 4-7 p.m. at Oak Valley Middle School in Commerce Township to present information on the planned 2012 paving of the gravel section of Cooley Lake Road from just east of Duck Lake Road to Mystic Valley/Majestic Oaks streets on the borders of Milford and Highland townships and White Lake and Commerce townships.

Oak Valley Middle School is located at 4200 White Oak Trail.

The meeting will not included a formal presentation, the RCOC says, but anyone interested can attend the meeting to ask questions of RCOC officials or review plans for the project, which is expected to cost around $4.4 million.

Slated to begin in the spring of 2012, the project is expected to be completed by the fall of that year. It will involve asphalt paving of the road, along with construction of concrete curbs, gutters and storm sewers in areas that need them in order to provide proper drainage.

This section of Cooley Lake Road will be closed to through traffic during the project. Access will be provided to traffic going to homes or businesses within the project area at all times.

Of the anticipated $4.4 million cost, approximately $3.2 million is being paid for with federal funds. The remaining $1.2 million will be split between the RCOC, Commerce Township, Milford Township, Highland Township and White Lake Township.

Appropriations for the project are in the RCOC’s proposed Fiscal Year 2011-12 budget, which comes in at slightly over $100 million and comes in about $7.5 million lower than the current fiscal year’s spending plan. The proposed budget includes $28.1 million in road improvement projects.

The RCOC’s 2011-12 fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2012.