Construction begins today for improving a stretch of road between Old-US 23 and Hacker Road in Hartland Township. Rehabilitation is beginning on Bergin Road and is expected to continue through next week.

Hartland Township Supervisor Bill Fountain said the Board of Trustees has had this targeted since the Safer Roads Plan came into existence roughly 3 years ago. Fountain told WHMI that Bergin Road gets a lot of traffic and it’s been in their plan to fix it before it completely deteriorates down to where it needs to be rebuilt. He said you never know what’s going to happen to the price of asphalt, and with fuel prices being down, this is a good time to do this and other similar projects. Public Works Director Bob West said they will be milling the road today and tomorrow, and will start paving the top layer by Friday. Next week, the Livingston County Road Commission, as part of the project, will construct a new right turn lane at Old 23. Paving will continue next Thursday, with the road expected to be fully open by the evening of Friday the 18th.

The township’s Safer Roads Millage will pay for the project. Fountain said they conservatively allocated roughly $480,000 for the job. Thanks to competitive bidding of materials and a $100,000 contribution from the Road Commission’s Pavement Preservation Program, the balance of the project is coming in under budget at $350,000, with a 10% contingency. All costs associated with the right hand turn lane are being funded entirely by the Road Commission. Residents and commuters should expect be intermittent lane closures throughout the project.(MK)