FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 28, 2022 Contact: [email protected]
Governor Whitmer Announces 19 Bridges to be Repaired as Work Continues to Fix the Damn Roads
LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new pilot program by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to streamline and bundle bridge projects together to make them more cost-effective and save taxpayer money. The program is getting underway in March with an initial round of 19 bridges set to be rebuilt this construction season.
“As construction season quickly approaches, we have an opportunity to make historic investments to fix a record number of roads and bridges across the state,” said Governor Whitmer. “Since 2019, we’ve repaired, rebuilt, or rehabilitated 13,198 lane miles of road and 903 bridges in every region of the state, supporting nearly 82,000 jobs. Michigan is fixing the roads with the right mix and materials, so they stay fixed, and creating tens of thousands of good-paying, skilled trades jobs along the way. Let’s get it done.”
The bridge bundling pilot project, the first of its kind in Michigan, encompasses 19 bridges owned by local agencies. MDOT expects bridge bundling, which covers several bridge locations under one contract, to streamline coordination and permitting, increase economies of scale, and improve bridge conditions on local routes around the state. MDOT is working to expand the approach, already in use on state trunkline projects, to address locally owned bridges.
”The pilot includes 19 local agency-owned bridges around the state with major bridge elements in serious or critical condition,” said MDOT Chief Bridge Engineer Matt Chynoweth. ”The scope of work for these bridges is superstructure replacement, which includes full removal and replacement of the bridge deck and supporting beams. Under the pilot program, all bridges will be rebuilt this year, beginning in March. The contract requirements call for them to be finished in 60 or 90 days.”
The 19 bridges to be rebuilt this year, along with scheduled start dates and contracted length of the project, are:
Clinton County: Herbison Road (March 1, 90 days), Tallman Road (April 15, 90 days) Eaton County: Five Point Highway (June 15, 60 days) Hillsdale County: Squawfield Road (June 15, 60 days) Ingham County: Linn Road (April 15, 60 days), Dennis Road (June 14, 60 days) Lenawee County: Sand Creek Highway (Aug. 15, 90 days) Lapeer County: Bentley Street (March 1, 60 days) Livingston County: Mason Road (May 2, 60 days), Iosco Road (May 6, 60 days) Luce County: Dollarville Road (Aug. 15, 60 days) Jackson County: E. Washington Street (March 1, 60 days) Macomb County: 33 Mile Road (March 10, 60 days), 31 Mile Road (March 16, 60 days), 26 Mile Road (April 15, 90 days) Muskegon County: Maple Island Road (June 15, 60 days) Ottawa County: Byron Road (March 1, 90 days) St. Clair County: Palms Road (March 22, 90 days) St. Joseph County: Nottawa Road (Aug. 15, 90 days)
During work, all bridges will be closed and detoured as requested by the local agencies. The projects will stay largely within the existing bridge ”footprints” with minor road work to accommodate new bridge elevations or changes in cross-section to meet current geometric requirements.
The public has a new tool to track the initiative. An online dashboard at Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling will provide project updates and show percent completion, detour routes, and other information for each of these projects. MDOT expects to provide photos during the construction process, as well.
By combining several contracts into one, bridge bundling allows one contractor, or one group of contractors, to work on multiple bridges in several locations, simultaneously, if needed. This can bring taxpayer savings through the standardization of bridge components and mobilization costs. The contract for the pilot program was awarded last year when local agencies and MDOT collaborated on the design and coordination of the project with a joint venture of two bridge contractors, C.A. Hull and Anlaan, for the low bid of $24.3 million. Alfred Benesch & Co. was the lead design firm.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration awarded MDOT nearly $978,000 to further its bridge bundling efforts on local agency routes, developing a framework for expanding the program. This grant was one of only seven awarded nationwide.
Governor Whitmer worked with the legislature to invest $196 million in federal funding in a Fiscal Year 2021 supplemental for the next phase of the bridge bundling program. With this funding, the state can rebuild another 50 bridges or more, addressing bridges prioritized as critical to regional mobility and safety.
A snapshot of the new dashboard for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) bridge building pilot program. The interactive website (Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling) allows stakeholders and the general public to track progress on local agency bridge projects that have been grouped together for more efficient work. Nineteen locally owned bridge repair jobs are included in the pilot program, with projects scheduled to begin March 1. (MDOT image)
|
Whitmer Announces 19 Bridges to be Repaired
