$1.5 billion keeps trades active around the state

With $1.5 billion being spent to repair and rebuild Michigan's roads this year, Hardhats working on building and improving the state's streets and bridges are enjoying another robust year.

Road work was under-funded throughout the 1990s, but made a significant jump to about $1 billion in 1998. State outlays then peaked in 2001 at $1.54 billion, declined slightly this year, and the Michigan Department of Transportation estimates that funding will gradually drop off to about $1 billion in 2006.

"Overall in 2002 we've had good weather conditions and good contractor performance," said MDOT spokesman Ari Adler. "Our projects are on schedule or ahead of schedule." Michigan's building trades workers and their contractors will repair and rebuild about 1,400 miles of road and 280 bridges in the state highway system this year.

Adler said contractors bidding on road work will find work warranties "much more prevalent" in the future. Contractors have offered seven-year warranties for the asphalt surface of a portion of Telegraph Rd. in the Detroit area, and on the concrete surface for a portion of U.S. 131 south of Grand Rapids.

Michigan Gov. John Engler, who generally ignored the deteriorating road issue during his first two terms of office, said "we are well on our way to achieving the goal of having 90 percent of state roads in good condition by 2007."

A number of small, medium and large projects around the state are keeping building trades workers and their contractors busy. Here is a sampling:

M-6/South Beltline - The largest ongoing project in the state is the construction of a 20-mile limited access freeway dubbed the M-6/South Beltline project near Grand Rapids. Phase I, from I-96 to M-37, opened to traffic in November 2001, while Phase II, from M-37 to US-131, and Phase III, from US-131 to I-196, will be open to traffic by 2005.

The $146 million east-west highway project will include eight interchanges and will help alleviate traffic and congestion on local roads.

"Although we have been working steadily on M-6, until now most of the work on Phase III has been off the beaten path," said Grand Region Engineer Steven J. Earl. "The progress being made this year will be quite obvious, and it's very exciting as we're getting closer to having the roadway open to traffic by 2005."

M-5 Haggerty Connector - The $21 million final phase of the M-5 Haggerty Connector - which will be far shorter than original plans had called for years ago - is expected to be complete in November. The final portion of the project is a new road between 14 Mile and Pontiac Trail.

When completed, the new M-5 will stretch from I-696 to Pontiac Trail in western Oakland County.

The first section of M-5 between 12 Mile and 14 Mile opened in August 1999.

I-96 reconstruction near Lansing - This one has been a real headache for motorists this summer.

The $35 million project began in March, and involves reconstruction of the highway, as well as repair or replacement of 16 bridges. Reduced traffic lanes have been maintained in Eaton County between M-43 and Lansing Rd. through median crossovers, and the resulting traffic backups have been significant.

In addition, a preventive maintenance project will occur in stages along I-96 from Wacousta Rd. to M-43 and from Lansing Road to just east of US-127. Improvements include pavement patching and grinding, along with bridge repair and painting and crack sealing.

I-75 in Sault Ste. Marie - This is the northern terminus of Interstate 75, the longest continuous north-south freeway in the U.S. at a length of 1,775 miles. Here, MDOT and the building trades are reconstructing three miles of pavement on I-75 from just south of the Three Mile Road interchange to the toll plaza at the International Bridge.

Work on the $7.2 million project is expected to wrap us this month, and includes the removal of existing pavement, resurfacing, drainage and guardrail upgrading, and installation of a median barrier wall.

NEW PAVEMENT is placed on the M-6/U.S. 131 project near Grand Rapids. (MDOT Photographic Services photo).