The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) is continuing to review options for repairing Orion Road at Dutton Road on the Rochester Hills/Oakland Township border, which remains closed due to damage caused by last Wednesday’s flooding.
Since the record rainfall last Wednesday (July 16) that caused the road to flood, the Road Commission had been waiting for the water to recede. The Road Commission brought in four pumps Friday to help drain the area.
Currently, RCOC crews are clearing debris out of the culvert under Orion Road in hopes of restoring normal flow and inspecting the culvert. Utility companies also continue to work in the area to restore their services.
Additionally, before RCOC can do any repairs to the road, it must consult with the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes and the Environment (EGLE), and any changes to the culvert under the road must be approved by EGLE since a waterway is involved. Also, any changes to waterflow at Orion Road could have impacts both up and downstream from the location.
“Because of these factors, we simply do not yet have an estimated timeframe for when we will be able to repair and re-open the road,” stated RCOC Deputy Managing Director and County Highway Engineer Gary Piotrowicz.
“We are very anxious to get this road re-opened,” Piotrowicz said, “and we greatly appreciate the patience of the public as we work to identify the proper solution. The last thing we want to do, though, is to make a repair that causes additional problems in the future.”
Piotrowicz reiterated that the flooding was caused by the record rainfall in the area on July 16, which was considered a 200-year rain event, meaning the area is expected to see that much rain in that amount of time only every 200 years or so. “This was a highly unusual event,” Piotrowicz said. “This was not a typical summer rain event.”
While Orion Road remains closed, the posted detour route is Rochester Road to Tienken Road to Adams Road, back to Orion Road and vice versa.
Piotrowicz warned people to stay away from the washed-out section of road, noting the area remains unstable, and not safe to be around.
