FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021

CONTACT: Rob Morosi, MDOT Office of Communications, [email protected]

One lane reopens on northbound I-75

from I-696 to 12 Mile Road     

Fast facts:

– Northbound I-75 has one lane open from I-696 to 12 Mile Road in Madison Heights.     

– Crews are targeting to open a second northbound lane by the end of the week.   

– Southbound I-75 remains unchanged, with two lanes open through the area.  

August 3, 2021 — Contracting crews have repaired and paved the left and center lanes of northbound I-75 near 11 Mile Road in the city of Madison Heights. The northbound lanes in the area were closed as crews worked to repair voids under the pavement that were discovered on Friday, July 30.

The center lane will remain closed as crews continue to work on nearby damaged sections of the freeway. It is anticipated the center lane will reopen to traffic by the end of the week.

The northbound I-75 service drive remains closed from 11 Mile Road to Gardenia Avenue. Currently, there is not an estimate on when that section of the service drive will reopen.

The voids appeared when crews were mining for a drainage tunnel under the northbound service drive near 11 1/2 Mile Road. The operation affected the pavement of the northbound lanes and the service drive. This section of northbound I-75 will be rebuilt in 2022 as part of the modernization project.

Follow I-75 modernization progress on the web at www.Modernize75.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Modernize75 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Modernize75.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                 WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2021

CONTACT: Rob Morosi, MDOT Office of Communications, 248-483-5107

[email protected]

Bridge demolition requires closing a

portion of I-75 this weekend in Detroit

Fast facts:

– MDOT is repairing 12 bridges on I-75 between Meade Avenue and 7 Mile Road.  

– Demolition work on Meade Avenue requires closing both directions of I-75 between I-94 and M-8 (Davison Freeway).  

– The closure starts at 9 p.m. Friday and ends by 5 a.m. Monday.

July 28, 2021 — Weather permitting, demolition of the Meade Avenue overpass above I-75 is scheduled to take place this weekend in Detroit. To safely accomplish this work, contracting crews will close both directions of I-75 between I-94 and M-8 (Davison Freeway) from 9 p.m. Friday, July 30, to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2.

During the closure, northbound I-75 traffic will be detoured to westbound I-94, then northbound M-10 (Lodge Freeway) to eastbound M-102 (Eight Mile Road) back to northbound I-75. The McNichols Road and 7 Mile Road entrance ramps to northbound I-75 will be available for local traffic.

Southbound I-75 traffic will be detoured to westbound M-8, then southbound M-10 back to southbound I-75. The Caniff and Holbrook avenues and Clay Street entrance ramps to southbound I-75 will be available for local traffic.

This work is part of extensive bridge repair on 12 structures over I-75 between Meade Avenue and 7 Mile Road. During active work, two lanes of I-75 will be open in each direction between 8 Mile Road and Meade Avenue. The project includes repairing the structures at the I-75/M-8 interchange that will result in ramp closures throughout the season. The eastbound M-8 ramp to northbound I-75 will be closed for the duration of the project.

All work on this $13 million investment is expected to be completed in late November.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  MONDAY, JULY 26, 2021 

CONTACT: Dan Weingarten, MDOT Office of Communications, 906-250-4809
                      [email protected]

MDOT dashboard tracks bridge bundling pilot program

Fast facts:
–  The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has a new online dashboard that allows the public to track progress on local agency bridge projects.
– A pilot project currently encompasses major improvements of 19 locally owned bridges. The new dashboard provides project updates and shows percent completion, detour routes, and other information for each bridge location.
– Under the pilot program, three bridges will be rebuilt in 2021, beginning in August.
– MDOT expects the bridge bundling pilot project, which covers several projects under one contract, to streamline coordination and permitting, increase economies of scale, and improve bridge conditions on local routes.

July 26, 2021 — The public now has a new online tool to track the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) initiative to bundle bridge projects together to make them more cost-effective, and to address multiple local agency bridges under one project.

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.

A pilot project, the first of its kind in Michigan, encompasses 19 bridge locations on locally owned bridges. The new online dashboard at Michigan.gov/BridgeBundling provides project updates and shows percent completion, detour routes, and other information for each of these projects. MDOT expects to provide photos during the construction process, as well.

”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, three bridges will be rebuilt this year, beginning in August. The contract requirements call for them to be finished in 60 or 90 days.”

The three bridges slated to be rebuilt this year are:

• The Byron Road bridge in Ottawa County (90 days, August-November),
• The Bentley Street bridge in the city of Lapeer (60 days, September-November), and
• The East Washington Street bridge in the city of Jackson (60 days, September-November).

The remaining 16 bridges are scheduled to be built in 2022 and 2023. During this time, all bridges will be closed and detoured as requested by the local agencies. Chynoweth said 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.

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 in March to a joint venture of two bridge contractors, CA Hull and Anlaan, with Alfred Benesch as the lead designer, for the low bid of $24.3 million.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 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.

MDOT estimates $2 billion is required just to get all state-owned bridges up to good or fair condition, and another $1.5 billion to do the same for all local agency-owned bridges. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking $300 million in a Fiscal Year 2021 supplemental budget request for the proposed next phase of the bridge bundling program. With this funding, MDOT anticipates the state could rebuild about another 130 bridges, addressing all currently closed local agency bridges and prioritizing repairs on local agency bridges in serious or critical condition.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021
CONTACT: Jeff Cranson, MDOT Director of Communications, 517-648-8247, [email protected]

MDOT director discusses need for infrastructure investment with federal officials in Washington, D.C.

Fast facts:
– MDOT Director Paul C. Ajegba visited Washington, D.C., this week to meet with federal officials to discuss the need for infrastructure investment.
– Ajegba also attended a two-day MAASTO Board of Directors meeting to discuss shared infrastructure challenges and interests with regional transportation officials.
– Congress is currently debating a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package.

July 22, 2021 — Wednesday, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Director Paul C. Ajegba wrapped up a three-day visit to Washington, D.C., where he pressed key federal officials on the need for infrastructure investment. He also touted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan efforts in discussions with top executives from mid-American state transportation agencies.

“Our federal legislators and officials, as well as our state counterparts and peers, are crucial partners in our efforts to build secure, resilient, and lasting infrastructure in Michigan,” Ajegba said. “It was an honor to meet in person with our federal partners to discuss the shovel-worthy projects across the state that are part of our governor’s ambitious Rebuilding Michigan program. We also discussed how federal infrastructure dollars could support our work.”

Director Ajegba joined a two-day meeting of the Board of Directors of the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO), where he gathered with regional transportation officials to discuss shared infrastructure challenges and interests, including operating safely through the COVID-19 pandemic. The group also collectively heard from federal officials, including U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) officials.

In a week when Congress is debating a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, including $579 billion in new spending, Ajegba also met with lawmakers to discuss MDOT’s plans and requests for federal infrastructure investment. This includes ways the legislation can support transportation projects across multiple modes.

The director’s visit comes a week after the State of Michigan submitted applications to the USDOT’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. If selected, these projects will build on the state’s commitment to addressing vital infrastructure needs with the support, partnership, and collaboration with federal officials.