Morley storm sewer separation and repaving is set to begin in March. City officials say the project will be done before Dearborn Homecoming in August.

Get ready for a new round of street construction and detours, due in part to Dearborn’s massive Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project.

Beginning in March, road crews will begin work on a $1.75 million storm sewer separation project on Morley Avenue, between Military and Monroe, shutting the road down to Morley residents only.

The construction project calls for new 8-inch water mains to be installed, replacing existing 6-inch diameter pipes. New storm sewers also will be installed, going from the current 15-inch diameter pipes to new 30-inch ones. The storm pipes will be routed directly into the Rouge River, via Military Street. Existing 21-inch pipes, which currently carry both storm and sanitary waste along both sides of Morley, will not be replaced. These large pipes will become dedicated sanitary sewers for this area.

This project, which also calls for the complete repaving of Morley, along with new driveway aprons for all residents (sod will be replaced in September) must all be completed before Dearborn Homecoming. Yes, that means the end of July, including the repaving of one block of Howard and one block of Mason, both between Morley and Garrison.

Dearborn officials have promised residents along Morley that this aggressive contruction project will be completed before Homecoming in August or the company hired will face penalties. Bids from construction companies to the city were due last week.  Now Dearborn city officials must quickly select a company to kick off the project.

The second part of this project calls for the reconstruction of Oakwood between Morley and Michigan Avenue. This road repair is scheduled to begin in August (after Homecoming) and run through November. That price tag is $450,000.

In 2010,  Dearborn officials are tentatively looking at repaving and replacing pipes along Monroe, between Morley and Michigan. That project, if kicked off, would also run from March to August in 2010.

City officials say similar future construction projects would eventually have to take place along Mason and Howard streets, between Garrison and Michigan Avenue, depending on the needs of future businesses along those streets.