Elba Island paving set to start; commissioners prioritize bridge repairs and Meridian milling schedule

Township staff and commissioners updated the Public Service Commission on road projects and bridge concerns, confirming that Elba Island paving is scheduled to begin Sept. 11 and that county crews will mill and pave the full length of Meridian Road’s northbound lanes in the coming days.

Derek said Al’s Asphalt will begin Elba Island work the week of Sept. 11, starting with milling and short‑span paving work; the job is expected to take several days for resident notification and short closures. He also reported Wayne County crews planned to mill Meridian’s northbound lane starting the following day and to complete the full stretch within a week, with alternating traffic patterns during the work.

Much of the commission discussion focused on three township bridges — Swan Island, Elba Island and Ferry Road — and on the county‑owned Park Lane bridge. Commissioners flagged emergency access concerns (hydrant access and fire apparatus routing) and said bridge condition and schedule for county replacement should inform where the township invests in pavement approaches. "If something happens to those bridges, those people are stuck," one commissioner said of the island bridges.

Commissioners also reviewed a list of neighborhood‑level pavement needs — Bellevue Road between Meridian and West River, East River Road approaches, Parkway shoulders and several cul‑de‑sacs — and urged staff to keep the county and the toll bridge commission engaged on repairs near the bridge approaches and toll plaza. Staff said some grant funds tied to the road program must be spent within the fiscal year and suggested options for reallocating work where appropriate.

On Park Lane Bridge, commissioners again raised safety concerns and suggested installing a hydrant on the north side of the bridge to improve fire response if county replacement is not imminent. Staff will compile the priorities raised by commissioners and return with a recommended schedule and cost estimates at a future meeting.

The commission did not take formal action on bridge replacements at this meeting but approved routine road project contract extensions and asked staff to return with costed options for next year’s priorities.