The Washtenaw County Road Commission gave approval to Enbridge Pipelines, Inc. of Toledo, Ohio for continued pipeline installation operations – despite the weight limit restrictions that went into effect on Feb. 25 – to use its heavy equipment on local roads in several townships.
In return, the company agreed to security deposits for road maintenance work as well as about $1.1 million to apply extra gravel to specific roads and to chip seal others, providing remediation to the affected roads once the pipeline project is complete.
The five-page contract between the Road Commission and Enbridge was unanimously approved at a special meeting on Thursday, Feb. 28.
Enbridge has been constructing a pipeline across Western Washtenaw County through Freedom, Lima, Dexter and Lyndon townships for the last several months and acknowledged that its heavy equipment’s “use of the (local) roads will cause damage,” according to the Pipeline Project Road Use Agreement.
So, through a mutual agreement, the Road Commission agreed to allow the company to operate its heavy equipment on specific roads and the company agreed to not only put up security deposits to ensure that the roads would be maintained during construction but also paid for remediation in the form of gravel resurfacing and chipsealing upon completion of the pipeline construction project.
*On the “Heavy Use Gravel roads,” Enbridge agreed to a $100,000 security deposit for maintenance of specific roads in the townships and to remediate any problems within 24 hours with their own staff. “If at the end of 24 hours, Enbridge has not, in the sole judgment of the Road Commission, adequately performed or made sufficient progress on the maintenance, the Road Commission will perform the work with its crews and apply the security deposit toward the cost of the work,” according to the contract.
In addition, Enbridge is paying the Road Commission $60,000 per mile of specified roads, or about $637,200, to apply an additional 6 inches of gravel to specific portions of roads to not only repair any damage, but also provide an upgrade to its surface.
These roads include sections of Boyce Road, Embury Road, Farnsworth Road, Joslin Lake Road and Roepke Road. A total of 10.62 total miles.
*On the “Light Use Gravel Roads,” the company agreed to a security deposit of $1,000 per mile or $25,840.
*On the “Paved Roads,” Enbridge agreed to a $100,000 security deposit for ongoing maintenance and it will pay $20,000 per mile or $492,000 to chip seal portions of Baker Road, Dexter-Chelsea Road, Fairway Drive, Hayrake Hollow Road, Island Lake Road, Jackson Road, North Territorial Road, Pleasant Lake Road, Scio Church Road and Stofer Road, for a total of 24.60 miles.
Township officials have said that the company has been honoring everything it said would do as the work has continued and road commission staff said that “There has been nothing but praise; that Enbridge has been doing exemplary work.”
“It’s worth noting,” said Road Commission Chairman Doug Fuller, “It’s been going on three months with this company and our own permit department has had nothing but praise for Enbridge and the way they do business. They have done everything we’ve asked them to do.”
