Dexter-Pinckney Road Bridge
General Information
The
Dexter-Pinckney Road Bridge over the Portage Lake Canal is located
between the Livingston County line and McGregor Road in Section 2 of
Dexter Township.
The original structure is a two-lane, single span bridge with a total length of 49.9-feet and total clear width of 29.2-feet. The bridge is comprised of two main load carrying concrete girders with transverse concrete floor beams. The existing substructure consists of vertical wall concrete abutments on unknown footings, built in 1920. The current weight restriction for the Dexter-Pinckney Rd Bridge is 23 tons for a one unit vehicle, 31 tons for a two unit vehicle and 35 tons for a three unit vehicle.
The proposed structure is a two-lane, single span bridge with an estimated length of 73-feet and total clear width of 35.5-feet. The bridge will be comprised of twelve concrete box beams measuring 36-inches in width by 17-inches in depth with a 6-inch concrete deck. The proposed substructure will consist of vertical wall abutments. This bridge is expected to be constructed during the summer of 2010.
Latest Media Release, March 2010:
Dexter-Pinckney Road Bridge Closure
Dexter-Pinckney Road Bridge Project FAQ's
Background
In late 2006, the Road Commission was awarded a grant through the Local Bridge Program (LBP) which is administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The Road Commission hired DLZ Michigan of Lansing to generate engineering plans and specifications for this bridge replacement project, which will be completed pursuant to MDOT policies and procedures. The final plans, specifications and estimate are expected to be approved by the Washtenaw County Board of Road Commissioners in December 2009. Construction is expected to start in early spring of 2010 and be completed by late summer of 2010.
The funding percentage for participating road approach and bridge construction items is ninety-five percent (95%). The remaining five-percent (5%) will be assumed by the Road Commission. The estimated cost of construction will be determined in February 2010 after all construction bids are received. This project is included in the 2010 Road Commission budget.
Project Updates
May 20, 2010
Installation of the piling for the new northerly bridge foundation
continues. Temporary supports have been set in the canal underneath
the old concrete bridge beams. The placement of the temporary supports
in the canal was discussed with and approved by the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources and Environment. The contractor intends to saw the
beams to facilitate removal. A crane is being erected today to assist
with this removal effort.
Based on the complexity and effort associated with the removal of the old bridge beams, the canal will remain closed through this coming weekend (May 22-23) and into next week. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to area boaters by this continued closure. However, a cautious approach in removing the beams is necessary to ensure the safety of the operation.
May 14, 2010
Based upon the progress made and the condition of the remaining portion
of the old concrete bridge, the Portage Lake Canal will be reopened for the
weekend at the end of work today, May 14. Fencing will be taken down.
However, warning buoys and signs will remain in place. Also,
contractor barges will be tied off along one side of the canal.
Boaters should pay special attention when using the canal.
The canal will be closed again at 7:00 AM on Monday, May 17. Demolition of the old concrete bridge will continue next week. Due to the significant size of the remaining main beams, the closure may carry into next weekend. As next week's demolition proceeds, further updates in this regard shall be provided.
Last week's load testing of the two test piles was successful. Foundation piling construction continued this past week.
May 6, 2010
Equipment associated with the foundation piling construction was
mobilized on April 26. Two test piles have been installed. The load
testing of the first test pile was completed yesterday. Production pile
construction is expected to begin later this week.
The closure of the Portage Lake Canal has been scheduled for Monday, May 10. The canal closure is expected to be in place for two weeks. The demolition of the existing bridge presents a considerable challenge, based on the size and heavy deterioration of the structure.
April 19, 2010
Construction activities resumed on site this morning, April 19. The
northerly foundation excavation is underway. The installation of the
northerly foundation piles is scheduled for next week.
April 1, 2010
The Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) and Dan’s Excavating, Inc.
implemented the closure of Dexter-Pinckney Road over the Portage Lake
Canal on Monday, March 15th. Work commenced on the relocation of the
adjacent sanitary sewer force main utility. The sewer relocation
was completed during the week of March 23rd. Trees and brush were
cleared from the site and sedimentation barriers (silt fence) were
installed.
The next construction operation will be the excavation of the northerly bridge foundation area. Foundation piles will then be installed. Based on the limited room for this work, the existing (old) bridge will be used as a working platform for the construction of the (new) northerly foundation.
Due to unforeseen complications related to the foundation piles, site work has been suspended. The Contractor has informed the WCRC that the necessary foundation pile materials will not be available until April 26th. The Contractor has revised the schedule; excavation of the northerly bridge foundation area will begin on April 19th.
Based on this unexpected schedule revision, the WCRC considered the possibility of re-opening Dexter-Pinckney Road to traffic. However, the site has been significantly impacted by the road closure and construction operations. In order to insure the safety of motorists, the bridge cannot now be reopened to traffic.
The WCRC is actively following up with the Contractor to ensure that the site work will resume at the earliest possible date. The WCRC will work with the Contractor to vigorously pursue the continued construction of the new bridge, with the intention of completing the project on time.
Despite the complications caused by the closure of Dexter-Pinckney Road, area motorists and residents have been very cooperative and understanding. The WCRC recognizes that delays in the progress of the work exacerbate the frustration caused by the road closure. However, re-opening of the road at this point in the construction is not a viable option at this time.
March 3, 2010
The preconstruction meeting with Dan’s Excavating, the bridge contractor,
was held on February 19. Based on the schedule submitted at that
meeting, the closure of Dexter-Pinckney Road will be implemented on Monday,
March 15. Portable electronic signs will be on site later this week,
displaying a message to advise passing motorists of the impending closure.
Next week the Contractor will begin installing the construction / detour
signs. An official Media Advisory will be distributed regarding the
closure.
December 17, 2009
This project is scheduled to be advertised for construction on December 23,
2009, with a Michigan Department of Transportation bid opening scheduled for
February 5, 2010. The Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC)
anticipates construction to start in late February or early March 2010 and
conclude in late August 2010.
The existing single span non-redundant concrete through-girder bridge will be replaced with a side-by-side post-tensioned concrete box beam bridge. The channel width will not be increased, since the existing bridge abutments will be left in place. The vertical clearance under the bridge will be increased by approximately 1.5-feet. This increased navigational clearance was achieved by using a more efficiently designed shallower depth bridge beam, not by raising the roadway surface elevation. The limits of the road work will extend from approximately 60 feet south of the bridge to approximately 60 feet north of the bridge. The WCRC has worked with the residents immediately adjacent to the bridge to resolve conflicts resulting from the bridge project, and the impacted utilities have been already relocated or will be relocated in the near future.
Based on the existing bridge configuration and the geometry of the project site, it is impossible to maintain traffic over the canal during the construction project. Therefore, traffic will be detoured onto McGregor Road and M-36. There will be certain periods the canal will be closed during construction. These times include periods where overhead work will be occurring, such as during the removal of the existing bridge and the placement of the new concrete bridge beams. It is the intent of the WCRC to maintain access through the canal for the majority of the project, but the WCRC is asking citizens to be understanding during the times of closure.
The Washtenaw County Road Commission intends to host a public information meeting in early February 2010, once a contractor has been selected for the construction work, so that interested citizens will be provided with the most accurate construction schedule as possible. A media advisory will be provided in the near future, detailing the specific date, time and location for this meeting.
December 11, 2009
The final plans have been provided to the Michigan Department of
Transportation (MDOT) today. The project will be included in the February
2010 MDOT bid letting, with construction expected to start by early March
and be completed by late August 2010.
As of June 8, 2009
A utility meeting was held at the WCRC office on June 4, 2009. Final
plans are expected to be submitted to the WCRC the week of June 15th,
pending the completion of the sanitary sewer relocation plans.
As of April 15, 2009
The Grade Inspection (GI) Meeting was held at the WCRC office on
April 2, 2009. This project has been assigned an MDOT bid letting of
December 2009.
As of March 9, 2009
The preliminary plans for this bridge were submitted to the Michigan
Department of Transportation (MDOT) on March 3, 2009.
As of February 26, 2009
Staff continued to review the preliminary plans for this bridge,
which is expected to be submitted to the Michigan Department of
Transportation (MDOT) in the near future.
As of February 10, 2009
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) permit was
received on January 13. Staff also reviewed the preliminary plans for this
bridge, which is expected to be submitted to the Michigan Department of
Transportation (MDOT) the week of February 16.
As of December 11, 2008
The WCRC provided TS&L review
comments to the consultant on November 25. The TS&L plans were submitted to
MDOT on December 2. The first utility meeting for this project was held on
December 2.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) permit application was submitted on November 11. The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Application for Section 106 Review was submitted on November 17. The first utility meeting is scheduled for December 2.
As of November 11, 2008The Type, Size & Location (TS&L) plans were submitted to the WCRC for review on October 31. The WCRC comments will be provided to the consultant the week of November 10, with the TS&L submittal to the Michigan Department of Transportation expected in late November. The MDEQ permit application is expected to be submitted the week of November 10 and the first utility meeting is expected in early December.
As of October 2, 2008The public information meeting was held on September 18 at the Dexter Township Hall. Staff continued to coordinate with the utility companies to receive facility information.
As of September 15, 2008Facility information was requested and received from most of the area utility companies. Preparations began for the public information meeting scheduled for September 18 at the Dexter Township Hall.
As of August 29, 2008A kick-off meeting was held between WCRC staff and the design consultant for this project on August 11. A public information meeting has been scheduled for September 18 at the Dexter Township Hall. This bridge replacement project is scheduled for the summer of 2010.
Contact Information
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