York Township officials, representatives of the Ann Arbor Railroad, and several area residents joined the Board and staff of the Washtenaw County Road Commission to celebrate the near completion of the new Judd Road Bridge over the Ann Arbor Railroad, located between Warner Road and Platt Road in York Township.
In the early morning of May 22, 2007, approximately 30 people met atop the new bridge for an informal ribbon-cutting and reopening ceremony. Before the ceremonial ribbon-cutting took place, Steve Puuri, Road Commission Managing Director addressed the group of attendees and thanked the local officials, residents, and staff for their patience and collaboration on this important road improvement project.
“Although completing this bridge project was a lengthy process, that took time, understanding, and cooperation from everyone involved, we hope the residents see that this new structure will well-serve the motoring public and York Township for decades to come,” Puuri said.
Additionally, those present were informed by Aaron Berkholz, Construction Supervisor and Project Manager, and other Road Commission staff that the project is not quite completed. There remains some landscaping to be done, and once the vegetation begins to re-flourish, a colored concrete surface sealer will be applied to the arch and retaining walls to further enhance the structure’s appearance.
(Left to right): Lori Beyer, Survey Supervisor; Roy Townsend, Director of Engineering; Carl Foreman, Survey Co-op; Steve Puuri, Managing Director, John Chlipala, Ann Arbor Railroad, Kelly Jones, Design Engineer, Aaron Berkholz, Construction Supervisor; Joe Zurawski, York Township Supervisor; Bruce Soulby, Construction Technician; Wesley Prater, Road Commissioner; Barbara Prater; Fred Veigel, Road Commissioner; Tom Stachler; Sally Donahue, York Township Treasurer; Helen Neill, York Township Clerk; Ron Yahr; Karen Yahr, and Frank Del Vecchio, Right-of-Way
Those who attended the half-hour ceremony were Board of County Road Commissioners Wesley Prater (Chair), and Fred Veigel (Vice-Chair). Road Commission staff included Steve Puuri, Managing Director; Roy Townsend, County Highway Engineer; Aaron Berkholz, Construction Supervisor and the Project Manager on this bridge replacement project; Frank Del Vecchio, Right-of-Way Supervisor; Kelly Jones, Design Engineer; Bruce Soulby, Construction Technician; Lori Beyer, Survey Supervisor; Carl Foreman, Survey Co-op; Val Cooper, Public Information Officer; and John Posegay, Assistant Permits Coordinator. York Township officials at the ceremony included Joe Zurawski, Supervisor; Sally Donahue, Treasurer; and Helen Neill, Clerk. Some of the citizens who participated were Ron and Karen Yahr, Jack Valentine, Tom Stachler, Tim Soules, and Kristina, Daniel and Emma Mahaney.
Also present were representatives from the Ann Arbor Railroad, John Chlipala and John Haar, who indicated that the new bridge height will now permit trains to carry stackable railroad cars, and thus, increase their hauling capacity. The new two-lane bridge clears the underlying Ann Arbor Railroad track by 23.5-feet, complying with the State of Michigan Railroad Code.
On June 26, 2006, the Washtenaw County Road Commission closed the old wooden Judd Road Bridge to begin working on its removal, in order to make way for the construction of the new two-lane bridge and associated road improvements. The target completion date for this project was originally December 2006. However, work had to be suspended on December 22, 2006, because of a number of delays caused by above-average precipitation in Michigan. Work resumed in April 2007, including the completion of the road approach work and restoration of the site.
The first step of this bridge replacement was to remove the existing timber structure. At the request of York Township and with the approval of the Board of County Road Commissioners, the original Judd Road Bridge was marked, disassembled and transported to Sandra Richardson Park, located on Platt Road approximately one mile from the original bridge site. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, York Supervisor Joe Zurawski indicated the township still plans to reassemble the old Judd Road Bridge for use as a pedestrian bridge in the park.
Construction of the new bridge began immediately after the removal of the old structure. Based on concerns expressed by York Township and nearby residents regarding the aesthetics and impact of the bridge design, the new bridge is comprised of precast concrete arch sections. In order to provide adequate sight distance over the new bridge, the road approaches were significantly raised. To limit the physical impact on adjacent properties, retaining walls incorporating an aesthetic stone-textured face were constructed along the road approaches.
This bridge replacement project was funded through the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Local Bridge Program (formerly the Critical Bridge Program). The Road Commission was notified of this funding award in April 2000. The award was based on structural and safety deficiencies in the existing bridge. The $1.6 million bid as submitted by the Walter Toebe Construction Company for the construction of the bridge was awarded through the MDOT in June 2006. Based on this bid price, the cost of construction has been funded though $1.3 million in federal funds, $240,000 in state funds and $80,000 in local funds, contributed by the Washtenaw County Road Commission. The Road Commission was also responsible for all costs associated with construction inspection, material testing and contract administration, which have been approximately $275,000.
“We would like to thank the York Township officials, as well as the local residents for their input on this project, and especially for their cooperation and patience during our construction period," concluded Puuri.