A proposed $1.5 million roundabout at Hickory Grove and Lahser roads and nearly $2.4 million in culvert replacements in Bloomfield Township are among the projects in the Road Commission for Oakland County's record $269.8 million budget for fiscal year 2027.
Residents can weigh in on the spending plan at a public hearing Thursday, Aug. 20, at 2 p.m. in RCOC's administrative offices, 31001 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills.
The proposed budget represents a $76.4 million jump from the current year's $193.4 million, according to the RCOC. The increase is driven largely by a surge in state road funding, which rises from $132 million to an expected $182 million thanks to road-funding legislation signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in October 2025. That law dedicated corporate income tax revenue and a new 24% wholesale marijuana tax to roads.
Local projects
The Hickory Grove/Lahser roundabout would serve both Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township. The intersection has been a documented safety concern: at the March 10 Bloomfield Hills City Commission meeting, a Bloomfield Township resident raised concerns about children walking and biking to school there, and the commission directed staff to conduct a traffic engineering study. RCOC was scheduled to present to the commission on the intersection at its May 12 meeting.
Three culvert replacements are planned in Bloomfield Township:
- Foxhall Road over Amy Drain — $755,000
- Great Oaks Road over Amy Drain — $600,000
- Rocky Spring Road over Graves Drain — $1.03 million
The budget also includes resurfacing Southfield Road from Lincoln to 11 Mile in Lathrup Village ($2.5 million) and 10 Mile Road from Lahser to Evergreen in Southfield ($1.5 million), corridors used by Birmingham-area commuters.
Countywide picture
Across Oakland County, the 2027 Road Improvement Program carries $81.7 million in total construction costs. The largest single project is widening 12 Mile Road from Beck to Dixon in Wixom and Novi at $33.2 million.
The budget allocates more than $103 million toward safety-focused road improvements, $44.7 million for maintenance including pothole patching and winter plowing, and $19.3 million for traffic signs, signals and pavement markings.
"Everything we do starts with safety," RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar said in the budget announcement. "And this budget puts that commitment front and center."
Federal funding also climbs sharply, from $28.3 million to $45.1 million, while local government contributions rise from $11.6 million to $20.1 million.
What's next
RCOC Director of Engineering Samuel Fitzer will present the road improvement program at the Thursday, Aug. 20, hearing. The board is expected to formally adopt the budget at its Sept. 17 meeting. The fiscal year runs Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.
The full proposed budget is available at rcocweb.org under "Financials."
