On Tuesday, May 10, the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) reopened Hack Road after completing construction of a new aluminum box culvert within weeks of the start of the 2016 construction season. The success of this project was the result of a unique collaboration between WCRC, the Lenawee County Road Commission (LCRC), Saline Township and Macon Township.
Upon conducting a countywide inspection of bridges and culverts last year, the Washtenaw County Road Commission was forced to close eight bridges & culverts to traffic after the structures failed routine inspections. On June 22, 2015, WCRC was required to close the Hack Road crossing at the Middle Branch of Macon Creek, located on the Macon and Saline Township line, to all traffic due to extensive structural deterioration.
By partnering with LCRC and the neighboring townships, WCRC was able to complete the project quickly and conserve tax dollars as compared to what it would have cost to hire a private contractor. WCRC has partnered with Lenawee County Road Commission on other culvert and bridge replacement projects over the past two years including, the Arkona Road culvert in Saline Township, Schneider Road culvert in Freedom Township, and the McKinley Road Bridge in Sylvan and Lima Townships located north of the City of Chelsea.
“Our agency is facing the consequences of decades of underfunding Michigan’s transportation infrastructure. By partnering with neighboring road commissions and our local units of government, we have been able to save funds that can aid in the repair and replacement of other failing bridges and culverts across the county,” said Jim Harmon, Director of Operations at the Washtenaw County Road Commission.
