Major reconstruction to a busy Brighton road has the Livingston County Road Commission recommending commuters find an alternate route.

Long awaited work on Challis Road is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 2nd. Traffic there has been increasing over several years, and with the new University of Michigan Brighton Health Center set open in September, it’s expected to get worse. As a result, the Livingston County Road Commission has met with the city and U of M and decided to go forward with a $2.1-million reconstruction program.

The project will be completed in 3 phases. Starting on the 2nd, for approximately 3 weeks, Challis will be closed from the railroad tracks to Interior Drive. Interior Drive will remain open to traffic from the east. From April 23rd through the end of August, the section from Interior Drive to Karl Greimel Drive will be closed for water main relocation, road widening, and paving. During this second phase Interior Drive will be open to traffic from the west. The final phase, from August 23rd to the 30th, will be comprised of night time milling and replacing of asphalt from Karl Greimel Drive to Grand River Avenue.

Road Commission Managing Director Mike Craine said the Road Commission is recommending commuters detour using Bauer Road and Brighton Road to access Grand River during construction. Improvements are expected to be completed before the hospital begins receiving patients in September.

Visit http://livingstonroads.org/PROJECTS/ChallisRoadProject.aspx for more details. (MK)