Beverly Hills, Mich. — The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) has submitted the draft environmental assessment (EA) for the widening of Tienken Road between Liverois and Sheldon roads in Rochester Hills to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). RCOC anticipates the EA will be approved within the next few months.

            The EA is required by federal regulations. It is a document that identifies the proposed improvement to a road section and provides an analysis of any potential environmental, social and cultural impacts of the proposed project.

            RCOC obtained federal funding to widen this section of Tienken Road to address traffic congestion. The EA identifies the preferred alternative for the road as widening to three lanes (one through lane in each direction and a center left-turn lane) and the construction of a roundabout at the Livernois/Tienken intersection. Additional turn lanes would be added at major side-street and driveway approaches. The estimated cost for the project is approximately $8.2 million.

            The FHWA and MDOT will now review the document and either approve it as submitted, recommend revisions or request additional information. The EA must be approved before RCOC can access the federal funds designated for the project.

            “We believe widening the road to five lanes west of Rochester Road would have been the best long-term solution for this road,” stated RCOC Managing Director Brent Bair. “However, after listening to the concerns of the community through a series of public meetings, and with the inclusion of the Livernois/Tienken roundabout and additional turn lanes at key driveways and side streets, we are satisfied that the three-lane proposal will meet the needs.”

The road currently experiences lengthy traffic delays during peak travel times. Projections call for the traffic on the road to increase in coming years.

The draft EA was given to Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett earlier today, Friday,    Dec. 4.

Assuming the FHWA approves the EA, the document will then be presented to the community at a public information meeting.

It is anticipated that the road widening project will take place in 2011 or 2012.

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