OpenAI, Oracle data center fines for trucks on dirt roads nearly reach six figures

• Jennifer Eberbach | [email protected]

SALINE TWP., MI — As construction of a massive data center for OpenAI and Oracle ramped up, so did township fines for construction trucks using gravel back roads.

As of Friday, The Barn data center has racked up a total of $97,500 in fines for 43 violations since Saline Township began imposing them in March.

“I’m just amazed that the trucks are still trying to sneak up the back roads and think that we’re not going to catch them,” Saline Township Supervisor Tom Hammond said.

That’s despite construction traffic on dirt roads violating a court-ordered rule that trucks only enter and exit the data center site on West Michigan Avenue/U.S. 12.

The number of violations and fine amounts increased over the summer each time the township sent invoices, which is currently every two months.

However, violations are down so far this month. With the month half over, there have been three confirmed violations that have not yet been invoiced.

In an effort to combat violations of a lawsuit settlement, township officials voted unanimously in March to impose fines if data center construction trucks travel on gravel roads.

The data center was fined $6,500 for seven violations that occurred in March, April and May, according to the township.

In June and July, 11 violations led to $28,500 in fines.

There was another uptick in August and September, when 22 violations resulted in $55,000 in fines.

This month, three additional violations will result in another $7,500 in fines. One more potential violation is under review.

While fines started at $500 per violations, the fine amounts increased with the number of violations, topping off at $2,500 per violation.

“It has decreased this month. It shows they have been making an effort,” Jane Finkbeiner of the township’s data center construction advisory committee said.

At first, the township fined data center developer Related Digital. The township now bills general contractor Walbridge.

Walbridge and Related Digital representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Walbridge informs subcontractors and vendors of the court-ordered rule, Finkbeiner said.

She said the data center now has a dedicated person who can monitor security cameras at two entrance gates on West Michigan Avenue to help identify which drivers have violated the rule.

Walbridge has been back-charging companies responsible for the violations, she said.

“Everything I’ve seen so far, if it happens twice with the same driver, they’ll be removed completely” from working on the data center, she said.

As new construction phases begin, informing newly arriving truck drivers about the back-roads restriction can take time, she said.

But drivers should also be paying attention to road signs that prohibit it.

Hammond said Walbridge has been “fairly good about verifying the trucks coming on site at about the time” using security camera footage.

Violations have consistently occurred on Case and Willow roads.

In September, a truck was found parked overnight on Braun Road with a driver asleep inside.

Finkbeiner said the driver’s response was they got lost.

In addition to truck violations, some workers in regular vehicles have been taking gravel roads at high speeds, which has led to complaints from residents.

Hammond said while roads have unposted speed limits, meaning 55 mph is the limit, it is often unsafe to actually travel that fast.

There are also occasions when residents report potential truck violations, but the trucks are not from the data center.

Hammond clarified that equipment like grain haulers and road construction trucks are allowed the use the back roads.

Beyond the back roads, traffic on West Michigan Avenue has been a concern.

The road near the data center site is set to get a temporary traffic signal soon, a Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson confirmed.

“MDOT has approved a permit for a portable temporary traffic signal to help safely clear traffic during peak afternoon/evening hours as workers leave the site,” MDOT spokesperson Jocelyn Garza said.

Garza said the signal could be in operation in as soon as a couple weeks.

“Once the temporary signal is in place MDOT will require it be in flash mode only for a few days to allow commuters to familiarize themselves with the new signal location before it becomes operational during that peak afternoon time,” she said.

In addition, Michigan State Police (MSP) continues extra traffic enforcement patrols near the data center due to residents’ concerns about the increase in traffic.

“We’re putting our commercial vehicle enforcement officers out there,” Lt. Rene Gonzalez, a public information officer with MSP, said.

Gonzalez said the troopers are watching for speeding, moving violations and vehicle safety violations.

He could not immediately provide data on traffic citations.

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