(Dexter) Main Street Bridge
-
General Information The (Dexter) Main Street Bridge over the Mill Creek is located between Dexter-Chelsea Road and Jeffords Street, in Section 6 of Scio Township, and borders the Dexter Village limits.
The existing concrete bridge was built in 1932; it is 52.2-ft. wide, 74.8-ft. in length, and has a clear roadway of 40 feet.
The current weight restriction for the (Dexter) Main Street Bridge is 7-tons, posted in 2007.
Background
The current (Dexter) Main Street Bridge, (circa 1932), is located on a primary road in Scio Township that runs directly through the Village of Dexter; the bridge is an important structure to area residents and merchants as it is a primary means of access to the Village.
In 2005, the Road Commission was awarded a grant through the Local Bridge Program (LBP),(formerly referred to as the "Critical Bridge Program"), which is administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). A grant of $5.5 million was awarded to the Road Commission for this project, of which the agency estimates that approximately $2.5 million will be needed to replace the 75-year old bridge, remove the existing dam, and cover additional costs for design, inspections, local match requirements, and sediment remediation. In that the LBP funds will cover 95% of the construction costs only, approximately $560,000 will be provided by the Road Commission for the preliminary design and construction engineering, the local match, and oversight costs for materials testing and inspections (to ensure the bridge is built to federal and state standards). Likewise, the Village of Dexter will contribute approximately $450,000 toward the sediment removal.
In April 2006, the (Dexter) Main Street Bridge received an annual bridge inspection conducted by the Scott Civil Engineering Company, at which time the weight restriction was maintained at 10-tons. (In 2003, the posting was reduced from 30-tons to 20-tons, and in 2004 it was reduced from 20-tons to 10-tons.) The bridge at that time was rated in poor condition. By 2007, upon the completion of another annual inspection, the weight restriction was again lowered, this time to 7-tons, which now restricts many large vehicles, such as fire trucks, from using the bridge.
In 2005, the Road Commission hired JJR of Ann Arbor to conduct
a feasibility
study to determine if the bridge replacement alone would accommodate
the current and 20-year forecasted traffic volumes. The completed study
revealed that just replacing and widening the bridge would not alleviate
all of the traffic congestion, and that additional road improvements
would be needed in the near future to adequately mitigate the regional
traffic problems in this western area of Washtenaw County. While the
Road Commission will continue to seek out viable long-term solutions to
address the regional congestion problems, at this time the bridge
replacement and dam removal is all that is scheduled for 2008.
(Back to top)
The New Bridge
The Road Commission retained URS Great Lakes to generate engineering plans for this project, and the plans and specifications for the bridge replacement have been completed pursuant to MDOT policies and procedures. The final plans, specifications and estimate were approved by the Washtenaw County Board of Road Commissioners on January 16, 2008 (Resolution No. RC08-015).
The state-aid funding percentage for participating road approach and bridge construction items is ninety-five percent (95%). The remaining five-percent (5%) will be assumed by Road Commission and the Village of Dexter. Non-participating items associated with aesthetics, sedimentation management and stream restoration will be borne by the Village of Dexter. The estimated cost of construction is $2,304,400. This project is included in the 2008 Road Commission budget.
It is anticipated that this bridge replacement project will take approximately 16 months to fully complete, from the initial design stage through to its final construction.
The impending construction work consists of the removal and replacement of the existing bridge and associated road approach improvements. This project also includes removal of the existing Mill Creek Dam and related sedimentation management activities.
The existing structure will be replaced with a new concrete three-lane bridge, with a deck span of 62 feet (width), a length of 101
feet, and a clear roadway of 47.75 feet.
(Back to top)
Project Updates
As of September 19, 2008With the shifting of two-way traffic onto the newly constructed (northerly) portion of the Main Street Bridge, Stage 2 construction activities began on Friday, September 5. This included the removal of the old concrete deck and bridge beams. Driving of the steel sheet cofferdam enclosure, which is used to allow the construction of the new bridge foundation, began in the southwest corner adjacent to the American Legion property. The driving of foundation piling in the southwest corner is expected to begin the week of September 22nd. During that time the construction of the southeast cofferdam enclosure will begin.
As of September 4, 2008The Washtenaw County Road Commission and the E.T. MacKenzie Company completed the necessary roadway approach construction, including asphalt paving and pavement striping, on Thursday, September 4, 2008. With the completion of this work, two-way traffic was shifted onto the newly constructed roadway approach and Main Street Bridge at 7:30 PM yesterday evening.
As of September 2, 2008The Washtenaw County Road Commission and the E.T. MacKenzie Company have scheduled the daytime closure of Dexter Main Street on September 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The closure is expected to be in effect between 9 AM and 4 PM all three days. These daytime closures will facilitate the completion of the roadway approach construction to the east and west of the bridge. The work involved will include the milling of the existing asphalt surface, grading, paving and pavement striping. Based on this schedule, two-way traffic will be shifted onto the newly constructed portion of the Dexter Main Street Bridge at the end of the day Thursday, September 4th. The asphalt paving work involved is weather dependent.
As of May 6, 2008The "pre-stage" portion of this project was completed the week of April 28, 2008, and two-way traffic was shifted to the pond side of the bridge on April 29. The Contractor's crew (E.T. MacKenzie Company) began removing the Fire Department side of the old bridge on April 30. This included the removal of the old sidewalk (which had been closed many years ago) and bridge railing. The work crew has also removed part of the old deck on the west end (Mill Creek Sports) of the bridge. This has provided an opening to get beneath the old concrete deck. Plywood "false decking" is being placed under the old deck. This plywood will catch debris as the deck is demolished, to avoid (as much as possible) debris falling into the creek below. The Contractor has also placed a few vertical steel sheets; these sheets are the beginning of the "cofferdam" enclosure. When completed, this steel sheet enclosure will allow the work on the new bridge foundation. More steel sheets will be driven later this week. The removal of the dam should begin in June.
As of May 5, 2008A Media Advisory was prepared and distributed on April 15 to announce the start of this bridge replacement project. Following the suspension of springtime weight restrictions, construction activities began on April 16. Work during this period included the removal of the sidewalk from the south side of the bridge and associated efforts for the temporary widening. Two-way traffic will be maintained during construction. Temporary paving was also completed resulting in the shifting of traffic during the week of April 28. Staff continues to follow up with AT&T representatives to ensure the timely completion of utility relocation work.
As of April 28, 2008Traffic has been shifted for the part-width bridge construction. However, two lanes remain open to traffic at this time. For cyclists, the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society has posted a recommended DETOUR route on their website at the following link: Bicyclist Detour
As of April 11, 2008Based on the results of the Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) process, WCRC staff will be submitting the preferred consultant for construction surveying services to the Board of County Road Commissioners for approval at the April 15, 2008 Board meeting. During this period, WCRC staff continued to monitor the relocation of multiple utilities. A complication related to the relocation of the AT&T facilities was identified and addressed. The staking of temporary construction sign locations was coordinated with the Contractor. Construction operations are expected to begin, pending the suspension of springtime weight restrictions.
As of March 28, 2008Proposals for construction surveying services were received on March 17, 2008. Road Commission staff are in the process of reviewing the proposals, with an MDOT Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) meeting to follow thereafter. WCRC Staff continue to monitor the relocation of multiple utilities. A preconstruction meeting was scheduled and held on March 17; those attending included representatives from the E.T. MacKenzie Company (the Contractor), the design consultant, emergency services, utility companies, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Dexter Schools, and the Village of Dexter. A coordination meeting was held with the Village of Dexter on March 19. In addition, a notice was prepared and distributed, and preparations were made for the Public Information Meeting that was held on the evening of March 25, 2008 to provide area residents and other interested parties with an update on the (Dexter) Main Street Bridge replacement project and Mill Creek dam removal. The meeting was held at the Mill Creek Middle School in Dexter. A brief presentation began at 6:00 p.m., followed by an Open House format to provide citizens an opportunity to discuss the project one-on-one with Road Commission staff, Village of Dexter officials, and consultant representatives. A handout of Frequently Asked Questions was also provided to the meeting participants.
As of March 14, 2008Road Commission staff have prepared and distributed a Request for Proposal for construction surveying services. Proposals are due back to the Road Commission on March 17, 2008. Following the MDOT QBS process, a consultant was selected to provide Materials Testing services. Road Commission staff met with Dexter Village representatives on March 7 to discuss project coordination. WCRC staff continue to follow-up on the relocation of utilities. The relocation of MichCon-AT&T utilities is underway. The relocation of Detroit Edison overhead began the week of March 10. The MDOT bid letting was on March 7; E.T. MacKenzie Company, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was identified as the as-submitted low bid at $2.52 million.
As of December 4, 2007Design is currently being completed, with an expected MDOT bid letting for March 2008. Construction is expected to begin in April 2008, with completion in November 2008. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Permit Application for the bridge and dam removal is currently being reviewed; approval is expected in January 2008. A utility meeting was held on November 27, 2007, to discuss the options available for the utility relocations needed for this project.
View Photo Gallery (unavailable at this time) (Back to top)
Contacts
If you have any questions regarding these updates on Washtenaw County bridges and culverts, contact Kelly Jones, P.E., Bridge Engineer, at (734) 327-6647, between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., or via email at: jonesk@wcroads.org.