Walton Boulevard Reconstruction, APWA Project of the Year

Walton Boulevard Reconstruction Road Commission for Oakland County Walton Boulevard Reconstruction APWA Project of the Year Award Michigan Department of Transportation 31001 Lahser • Beverly Hills, MI 48025

Project Details Project: Walton Boulevard Reconstruction Client: Road Commission for Oakland County Completion Date: November 2008 Project Cost: $12,500,000 Contractor: Dan’s Excavating, Inc. Consulting Engineers: OHM (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.)

City of Auburn Hills Walton Boulevard over I-75

The Big Challenge Take 1.5 miles of road, an old bridge over a major freeway, a tight schedule, three government owners and throw in high priority federal funding and state funding deadlines to create a successful project in 5 months. Walton Boulevard in the City of Auburn Hills between Opdyke and Squirrel roads needed serious work. This segment of Walton Road had not been updated since the road was constructed and the traffic growth made it critical to expand capacity for east- west mobility through Auburn Hills and neighboring Pontiac.

A Slow Start In the early 1990s, the Michigan Department of Transportation initiated a project to improve a stretch of I-75 from M-59 to the north. Engineers studied the roadway issues and began design. The I-75 improvements involved replacing several bridges, including Walton Boulevard over I-75. The need to replace the bridge prompted the interest in improving the roadway, too. Then the 1990s hit. Construction costs rose while funding fell. The project stalled.

Funding Creates a Fast Finish Fast forward to 2007, when Walton Boulevard made the federal list of High Priority Projects (HPP) targeted for transportation funding. While the HPP allocation totaled millions, it was still not enough to fund the entire improvement. The State of Michigan’s Local Jobs Today funding program designed to spur local road improvement projects was tapped for an additional $2 million. These funds came with a caveat: the project had to be in a MDOT letting program by September 28, 2007. Recognizing that it would take an extraordinary effort to complete a large, multi-jurisdictional project, MDOT, the Road Commission for Oakland County and the City of Auburn Hills joined forces with OHM, the consulting engineer on the project. OHM and the three agencies recognized that the participants would have to act as team, jointly focused on the urgency of meeting the funding schedule. The team members planned together and assigned elements of the project amongst themselves: • OHM designed the road, bridge, pedestrian pathway and public utilities. • RCOC obtained ROW. MDOT, RCOC and OHM coordinated private utility relocations. MDOT and RCOC administered the project, and • All entities streamlined review processes. The team scoured the project tasks and plans, identifying any potential delays and creating strategies to eliminate them.

Ready, Aim, Fire OHM marked the official start of the project in March 2007, working The presence of several major utilities required close attention during with MDOT, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and other state and design. A 42” diameter Detroit Water and Sewerage Department environmental agencies to complete an Environmental Assessment. (DWSD) water transmission main and overhead high voltage lines FHWA approved the Environmental Impact Statement with a Finding of No had the most impact on the project’s design. Early communication Significant Impact (FONSI). The alignments and profiles were accepted and with the utility companies as well as design details prevented these design began. hazards from affecting the project schedule. To accommodate the water main, the designers specified pre-boring the foundation piling before driving, and monitoring the vibrations to assure that About the Bridge peak particle velocities remained under the specified threshold. The A two span bridge design provided full clear zones and room for the future overhead wires were relocated before the project’s start. expansion of I-75. The north face of the bridge carries five lanes of Walton Blvd and a pedestrian pathway. MSE walls supporting the embankments About the Roadway sped construction, eliminated the need for additional right of way and kept costs low. When the project launched, Walton Boulevard was two to three lanes, with open drainage. To complete the major east-west corridor, the roadway was expanded to a five lane section with enclosed The bridge superstructure used integral approach slabs to eliminate drainage. OHM engineers redesigned a 16” water main upgrade expansion joints from the bridge deck. All superstructure thermal movements from the existing 12” water main. A non-motorized path connected are accommodated within the approaches to ease future repairs when the paths at both ends of the project. expansion joints inevitably begin to leak. The 42” DWSD water main also played a major role in the road design. The design team applied context sensitive finishes to this structure to To avoid any schedule delays caused by utility conflicts, designers improve aesthetic appeal. The railings and MSE wall panels feature considered potential impacts at the outset. Involving DWSD staff concrete textures and pigmented concrete surface sealer. These details early in the design process was crucial in avoiding schedule delays. help the bridge serve as a gateway between the urban feel to the south The approach created opportunities for cooperation between the of the structure and the more rural feel to the north of the structure. A 10’ partners. To allow clearance for drainage structures and minimize wide pathway across the structure supports pedestrians’ non-motorized the impact to the water main during construction, alignment of the transportation needs. Special expansion joint device covers are used in the road was shifted away from the water main. approaches to mitigate hazards. A protective barrier separates vehicles and pedestrians.

Community Relations Businesses are impacted during the construction phase of any infrastructure project. Maintaining access is important and the design and construction teams took special care in planning and staging. An automotive supplier within the corridor shared its driveway with its only loading dock. Because of the shifting of the alignment, widening of the road, and proximity to the bridge, the driveway had to be substantially reconstructed. However, closing the driveway during construction would have halted the manufacturing facility’s operations. Again, early coordination with the company allowed for continuous six days per week operation of the plant and minimal delays to the construction schedule. During construction, the Road Commission mailed fliers to the all residents and property owners in the project area, posted updates on the agency’s website and issued news releases at key project dates.

Advance Planning and Cooperation Reduce Schedule Impacts in a Big Way In any design and construction project, there are factors that commonly slow the schedule’s progress, such as right of way and permits. The Walton Boulevard project was no different: widening Walton Boulevard required right-of-way. The non-motorized paths needed grading permits. A large entertainment complex, the Palace of Auburn Hills was affected by the project’s design and construction. The design team mitigated these potential delays by identifying the right-of-way locations quickly. This gave RCOC adequate lead time for acquisition. Right-of-way was obtained for the project in an almost unheard-of four months, a feat made possible by direct communication between designers and RCOC’s legal department.

Michigan Department of Transportation 31001 Lahser • Beverly Hills, MI 48025 Contact: Thomas Blust, PE 31001 Lahser Road | Beverly Hills, Michigan 48025 Helping Build Better Communities for Tomorrow Contact: Patrick Wingate OHM | 34000 Plymouth Road | Livonia, Michigan 48150 | www.ohm-advisors.com

Walton Boulevard Reconstruction, APWA Project of the Year

by OHM Advancing Communities on May 04, 2010

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Walton Boulevard Reconstruction, APWA Project of the Year — Presentation Transcript