Flooding on Orion Road, at Dutton Road, caused a portion of the roadway to wash away following storms July 11. The road remains closed as the Road Commission for Oakland County assesses the damage and works on a repair plan.
By: Mary Beth Almond | Rochester Post | Published July 22, 2025
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — Last week’s record rainfall prompted the closure of Orion Road, at Dutton Road, in Oakland Township as crews assess the damage.
The July 16 storm flooded many areas in metro Detroit, including Oakland Township, where it washed away a portion of Dutton Road.
The storm, according to officials, was considered a 200-year rain event — meaning the area is expected to see that much rain in that amount of time only every 200 years or so.
“(It was) something like almost 6 inches of rain in about an hour that led to all this flooding, which is pretty unusual in this part of the world,” said Craig Bryson, the spokesman for the Road Commission for Oakland County.
As the Road Commission works to identify the best way to repair the roadway and assess damage to the culvert underneath, Orion Road is closed at Dutton Road “until further notice,” Bryson said.
“We couldn’t really see the culvert until the water receded over the weekend — we had four pumps in there pumping the water out — but the water is finally getting low enough that we can finally take a look at the culvert and see whether or not it was damaged as a result of this,” he added.
The detour route is Rochester Road to Tienken Road to Adams Road, back to Orion Road, and vice versa.
At press time, Road Commission crews were clearing debris out of the culvert under Orion Road in hopes of restoring normal flow and inspecting the culvert. Utility companies also continue to work in the area to restore their services.
“We have to be out of the way so those companies can get in there and repair their services, which continues to happen,” Bryson said.
Before the Road Commission can do any repairs to the road, it must consult with the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes and the Environment, and any changes to the culvert under the road must be approved, since a waterway is involved. Also, any changes to waterflow at Orion Road could have impacts both up and downstream from the location.
“We’re a long way away from knowing what the solution is yet,” Bryson said. “We are still in the assessment phase.”
Road Commission Managing Director Dennis Kolar said the Road Commission appreciates the public’s patience as it works to determine the best way to repair the road.
“This flood event was unexpected, and we had not previously seen this type of flooding at this location,” he said.
As soon as the Road Commission has a better idea of what the solution will be, and how long it is expected to take, the information will be shared with the public.
“We simply do not yet have an estimated timeframe for when we will be able to repair and re-open the road,” Deputy Managing Director and County Highway Engineer Gary Piotrowicz said in a statement.
“We are very anxious to get this road re-opened,” he said. “And we greatly appreciate the patience of the public as we work to identify the proper solution. The last thing we want to do, though, is to make a repair that causes additional problems in the future.”
Until then, officials are warning people to stay away from the washed-out section of road.
“It’s an unstable area, so it’s not safe to go walking around there,” Bryson added.