Ahead of schedule, an area roadway has reopened to traffic after being closed for months for construction.

The Road Commission for Oakland County has completed paving Napier Road from 9 Mile Road to 10 Mile Road on the Novi/Lyon Township border and says it is now open to traffic, a week ahead of the scheduled mid-July opening. The section, which was formerly a gravel road, had been closed since early April for the second phase of the Napier Road project, which included the gravel-road paving and drainage improvements.

Officials say this marks completion of the entire Napier Road project, which began with the construction of a roundabout at Napier Road and 10 Mile Road in 2017. The combined $6.3 million project was funded with a mix of federal and local dollars. Local funding was shared by the road commission, Lyon Township and the City of Novi.

In addition to paving the gravel road and constructing the 10 Mile Road/Napier Road roundabout, previous improvements in earlier phases of the project included reconstruction of 10 Mile Road from Copperwood Drive to Nepavine Drive and a significant reduction of a hill on 10 Mile west of Napier to improve sight distance and enhance safety. This section of Napier Road carries approximately 2,350 vehicles daily. (JK)