Culvert work will close Lake Road

On Monday, Oct. 10, Lake Road from Elm Street to Harris Road will be closed so state contractors can rebuild two 100-year old culverts. The work is expected to take 45 days. The vast majority of Lake Road is not affected by the construction.

Richelieu, which runs parallel to and just south of Lake, is the best alternate route for passenger vehicles and small trucks.

Alternate route for eastbound traffic – passenger vehicles and small trucks

From Lake, turn right onto Harris, left onto Richelieu, left onto Elm and right back onto Lake.

Alternate route for westbound traffic – passenger vehicles and small trucks

From Lake, turn left at Elm, right onto Richelieu, right onto Harris and left back onto Lake.

Signs will help drivers navigate around the construction.

Semi Truck detour

The state is providing signage to reroute semi trucks around the Lake Road construction via State Routes 57, 611 and 301.

Bi-Rite and Amber Oaks are open for business

Two area businesses are on Lake Road within the construction area. Bi-Rite Express and Amber Oaks Restaurant will remain open. Bi-Rite customers can travel Richelieu and turn onto Lafayette. The store is at the corner of Lake and Lafayette and their parking lot is accessible.

Diners can get to Amber Oaks by taking Richelieu to Treadway. The restaurant is at the corner of Treadway and Lake and their parking lot is also accessible.

Service Director Patrick Hastings said that supply chain issues caused a significant delay in receipt of parts needed to reconstruct the aging culverts. He said he feels as frustrated as others that this happened because it prevented contractors from doing this work before Lake Road was resurfaced this summer. Had the city delayed the resurfacing project, funded largely by state grants, it would have lost its place in line given the large number of other communities’ funded projects in queue. That could also put the entire project at risk as grant funds, approved in the last two-year state budget, needed to be expended this calendar year or returned.