Contractors on Tuesday were grading a layer of gravel over Imlay City Road, east of Maple Grove Road in Lapeer Township as part of reconstruction of the busy east-west roadway. Photo by Jeff Hogan LAPEER COUNTY — Orange barrel season kicked into high gear Monday as crews closed Imlay City Road between Five Lakes and Maple Grove roads.

It’s all part of a $897,375 project to resurface the two-mile section of road with four inches of new asphalt. “Your teeth will thank us,” said Lapeer County Highway Engineer Bill Meinz.

Although contractors have Imlay City Road scheduled to be closed for up to six weeks, Meinz said the project could be completed considerably before that, as long as the weather holds out. Meinz said grinding off four inches of pothole patches could be done by the end of the week.

In the meantime, however commercial truck traffic will have to use I-69 between Lake Pleasant Road and M-24 to get around the construction area.

Last year road commission contractors repaved Imlay City Road from Five Lakes Road back into Imlay City. Meinz said next year the commission plans to use grant money to pave the road from Maple Grove Road to Myers Road.

If the weather stays nice this week, motorists can expect slow going on Elba Road between Oregon and Coldwater roads in Oregon Township Thursday. That’s because a contractor will be chip sealing the road.

Meinz said the Lapeer County Road Commission expects to have the Millville Road bridge over the Flint River closed completely from June 18 to 30 while the bridge is refurbished. That means motorists traveling between Plum Creek and Angle roads will need to find an alternate route.

Lapeer Road won’t be a good alternate for people in a hurry, since MDOT is still working on replacing the Lapeer Road bridge over Plum Creek. MDOT is replacing one lane of the bridge at a time and has a traffic light in place.

Crews replacing the 1948 bridge over the abandoned Penn Central Railroad bed have kept two lanes open on Lapeer Road as they drop the roadway seven feet. Still road commission officials urge motorists to slow down in the area and keep an eye out for road workers.

Road commission contractors also expect to begin work June 18 on widening and adding a center left turn lane to Lake Nepessing Road between the railroad tracks and John Conley Drive. Meinz said the $439,850 project will have the road closed to all but local traffic through August.