This 2.7-mile stretch of M-29 between I-94 and Baker Road was highly congested with signal progression issues, long access delays at the freeway, and multiple stakeholders concerned about construction impacts. Wade Trim worked closely with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), local stakeholders, and the community to develop a reconstruction design that addressed current and future needs. Stakeholders ranged from emergency responders and business owners to a health center, private utility firms, the school district and SMART, a public transportation provider. Several improvements were identified to enhance the final five-lane section with shoulders, curb and gutter, and signal timing was optimized to minimize delays. A temporary travel lane was also used during construction to provide a left-turn lane and facilitate maintenance of traffic.
When an unforeseen utility conflict threatened to delay construction, an immediate solution was needed. Since the addition of shoulders throughout the project limits conflicted with fiber optic lines, the telephone provider had agreed early on to move their duct by the start of construction. However, as the project progressed, the provider could not keep their commitment due to cost and schedule. To mitigate this conflict as agreed, the duct bank would have to be moved at a cost of several million dollars which would delay the project by a year or more, potentially causing the loss of funding for the project. Wade Trim developed an innovative solution that prevented the need to relocate the entire line by redesigning the drainage system and working with the provider to lower the conflicting conduits.
