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Michigan Notes

Started by MDOTFanFB, October 26, 2012, 08:06:31 PM

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JREwing78

The Detroit Free Press posted an article highlighting how bad the road funding shortfalls are in Michigan compared to its peers. Pennsylvania outspends Michigan by a factor of FOUR!

Raw Data: Michigan is dead last for highway expenditures per capita
http://www.freep.com/article/20140518/OPINION05/305180043/Michigan-road-spending-highways?odyssey=obinsite


JREwing78

This week, the bi-national Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA) board unanimously approved an $8.9 million contract with DeVere Construction from Alpena, Michigan, to construct a new toll plaza in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

"This is a great day for the sister cities of Sault Ste. Marie and our customers,"  said SSMBA Board Chair Linda Hoath of Sault, Mich. "This project will improve customer service, plaza safety, and operational efficiency."

The project will replace the 52-year-old toll plaza and office building. The new toll booths and office building will be constructed approximately 150 feet (45 meters) south of the existing booths and building. This will require realignment and reconstruction of the I-75 traffic ramps immediately south of the toll plaza. Construction on the plaza project is scheduled to begin in June and conclude in November 2015.


International Bridge toll plaza reconstruction moves forward
http://www.sooeveningnews.com/article/20140517/NEWS/140519075

JREwing78

#52
High fuel taxes and low spending on roads.

It's a nasty combination, but Michigan motorists can rightfully complain they pay some of the highest fuel taxes to drive on some of the lousiest roads.

According to national data, Michigan has the sixth-highest state taxes on gasoline but one of the lowest rates of investment on roads in the nation.

That's galling to motorists such as Norbert Kroll of Howell, who works as an engineer in Dearborn.

"What did they do with all that money?"  Kroll asked. "We should have the sixth-best roads in the nation not the sixth-worst."


Clearly, this is a large part of the resistance to raising fuel taxes in Michigan, and completely understandable.

If Michigan can divert the sales tax directly to roads (and the current non-transportation budget suggests it's possible), that would solve a lot of problems without trying to push through an unpopular fuel tax increase or incorporate an asinine travel tax.

Why Michiganders pay among highest gas taxes - to drive on crummy roads
http://www.freep.com/article/20140523/NEWS06/305230042/roads-taxes-fuel-michigan

Edited to add commentary.

halork

I see that MDOT has I-75 closed from M-134 to Rudyard for culvert replacement, and are detouring traffic onto Mackinac Trail. I know that Mackinac Trail was repaved several years ago, but I don't recall it being up to state highway standards. Also, how old is the Pine River Bridge south of Rudyard? Seems like it would be an "interesting" drive with all the I-75 traffic.

Also interesting, getting off NB I-75 at M-134, you turn left for Detour I-75, and right for Detour Village!  :hmmm:

triplemultiplex

Quote from: halork on June 24, 2014, 05:17:31 AM
I see that MDOT has I-75 closed from M-134 to Rudyard for culvert replacement, and are detouring traffic onto Mackinac Trail. I know that Mackinac Trail was repaved several years ago, but I don't recall it being up to state highway standards. Also, how old is the Pine River Bridge south of Rudyard? Seems like it would be an "interesting" drive with all the I-75 traffic.
That seems odd.  Why didn't MDOT just convert one side of the freeway into two-way traffic while they do the culverts on one carriageway, then switch them around to do the other one?  You know, like every other rural, low traffic freeway project in the country.
Even culverts that span the entire freeway could be replaced half at a time.  Shunting all the summer tourists onto surface roads doesn't seem like the best idea to me.
Unless this is an extremely short duration project...?
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

JREwing78

Info from MDOT's website:

TOTAL CLOSURE- Mon. 6/16/2014, 6AM to Fri. 8/1/2014, 9PM
Northbound and southbound I-75 between M-134 and M-48
Details:
Closed and detoured for culvert replacement.
Detour: M-134 to Mackinac Trail to M-48 to I-75. Reversed for southbound traffic. No oversized or overweight vehicles.
Contact: Newberry TSC 906-293-5168
Chippewa County
Expires in 38 days. Last updated: 6/10/2014, 10:32 AM

Apparently it's cheaper to shut down the road than to pay for 12 miles of traffic management? Odd, however, that they'd perform the work during the height of summer travel season (it's shut down until August 1st). They could have pulled this off after Labor Day easily.

The Google street view (from 6 years ago) show Mackinac Trail was mostly freshly rebuilt with wider paved shoulders (there was about a mile north of Dixie Hwy that was clearly substandard, but the rest was rebuilt). I would presume that it was probably adequate for the temporary traffic arrangement.

I'm a little surprised they needed to do this kind of shutdown considering the road was reconstructed a few years ago. Didn't they fix the culverts then?

getemngo

This is pretty bizarre, yes. Even worse that oversized/overweight vehicles will need to take M-48 to M-129 to M-134 - a 46-mile detour for a 15-mile stretch of I-75.  :wow:

Quote from: JREwing78 on June 24, 2014, 11:01:33 PM
The Google street view (from 6 years ago) show Mackinac Trail was mostly freshly rebuilt with wider paved shoulders (there was about a mile north of Dixie Hwy that was clearly substandard, but the rest was rebuilt). I would presume that it was probably adequate for the temporary traffic arrangement.

MDOT actually rebuilt Hiawatha Trail in Mackinac County before repairing the Cut River Bridge and making Hiawatha Trail the detour for US 2. Surprised they didn't do the same thing here. I also hope they don't notice and remove the state-named I-75 shield approaching the intersection with M-134...

P.S. Nobody, not even natives, has called it Dixie Highway since the '30s. It's just Google Maps being Google Maps.
~ Sam from Michigan

JREwing78

Quote from: getemngo on June 26, 2014, 01:04:18 AM
This is pretty bizarre, yes. Even worse that oversized/overweight vehicles will need to take M-48 to M-129 to M-134 - a 46-mile detour for a 15-mile stretch of I-75.  :wow:

One would think that an oversize/overweight load bound for the Soo would simply stay on M-129 and not head out of their way to rejoin I-75.

Quote from: getemngo on June 26, 2014, 01:04:18 AM
Quote from: JREwing78 on June 24, 2014, 11:01:33 PM
The Google street view (from 6 years ago) show Mackinac Trail was mostly freshly rebuilt with wider paved shoulders (there was about a mile north of Dixie Hwy that was clearly substandard, but the rest was rebuilt). I would presume that it was probably adequate for the temporary traffic arrangement.

MDOT actually rebuilt Hiawatha Trail in Mackinac County before repairing the Cut River Bridge and making Hiawatha Trail the detour for US 2. Surprised they didn't do the same thing here. I also hope they don't notice and remove the state-named I-75 shield approaching the intersection with M-134...

P.S. Nobody, not even natives, has called it Dixie Highway since the '30s. It's just Google Maps being Google Maps.

Good point. Hell, even Mackinac County signs it as M-134, though clearly the state maintenance ends at the I-75 interchange. https://www.google.com/maps/@46.056883,-84.691552,3a,75y,347.76h,86.83t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sSyX3YIH6vtonZbHX3DPOPw!2e0


GaryV

I drove to Sault Ste Marie today.  The detour on Mackinac Hwy isn't too bad, even if it does have a couple of unnecessary temporary 45 MPH signs.  A section south of M-48 is freshly repaved; there are barrels still on the shoulder and shoulder closed signs.  No indication of what kind of work is happening on I-75.  I saw a VMS on the SB side before M-80 stating wide load trucks could not use the detour.

At the northern end, the right lane is closed just beyond Easterday Ave exit (the last US exit).  There are signs about a mile back announcing the closure.  Wide load trucks going to Canada are told to exit at the rest area (the one north of 6 Mile Rd, not the Welcome Center) and phone.

allniter89

#59
A fun little quiz about I 75, pretty easy for roadgeeks. I scored 80%  http://www.freep.com/interactive/article/20140713/FEATURES07/140711003/Quiz-you-an-1-75-road-warrior-Find-out
An article on the Mackinac Bridge aka "Mighty Mac"  http://www.freep.com/article/20140803/NEWS06/308030060/mackinac-bridge-tour-view
An article on the readers picks of the "Top Ten Underrated attractions within 5 miles of I 75"  http://www.freep.com/article/20140803/FEATURES07/140729015/michigan-i-75-attractions-travel
BUY AMERICAN MADE.
SPEED SAFELY.

halork

Quote from: triplemultiplex on June 24, 2014, 09:24:40 PM
Quote from: halork on June 24, 2014, 05:17:31 AM
I see that MDOT has I-75 closed from M-134 to Rudyard for culvert replacement, and are detouring traffic onto Mackinac Trail. I know that Mackinac Trail was repaved several years ago, but I don't recall it being up to state highway standards. Also, how old is the Pine River Bridge south of Rudyard? Seems like it would be an "interesting" drive with all the I-75 traffic.
That seems odd.  Why didn't MDOT just convert one side of the freeway into two-way traffic while they do the culverts on one carriageway, then switch them around to do the other one?  You know, like every other rural, low traffic freeway project in the country.
Even culverts that span the entire freeway could be replaced half at a time.  Shunting all the summer tourists onto surface roads doesn't seem like the best idea to me.
Unless this is an extremely short duration project...?
Just saw a column in the St. Ignace News that I-75 is still detoured; apparently they discovered problems with the Pine River bridges. The author wonders why the Mackinac Trail detour is still in place; asking why traffic is not routed onto one side of the freeway while the other is being fixed.  :hmmm:

JREwing78

Northbound lanes of I-75 to reopen Friday
http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9620_11057-337713--,00.html


Northbound lanes of I-75 to reopen Friday
Contact: Dan Weingarten, MDOT Office of Communications,
WeingartenD@michigan.gov
906-485-6322, ext. 136
Agency: Transportation

Fast facts:
- The northbound lanes of I-75 in Chippewa and Mackinac counties will reopen this Friday.
- Work was originally planned to be done by the end of summer, but the discovery of additional needed work over the Pine River extended the detour into early fall.
- The southbound detour is expected to be lifted in approximately three weeks.

September 17, 2014 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) expects to reopen the northbound lanes of I-75 in Chippewa and Mackinac counties this Friday afternoon, bringing half of this summer's I-75 detour to an end. Only temporary single-lane closures will be required on the northbound lanes during the coming weeks as the project is wrapped up.

Southbound lanes of I-75 will continue to be closed between M-134 and M-48, and motorists will be detoured via the Mackinac Trail.

"We can't thank motorists enough for their patience with our major I-75 projects this summer," said Pete Paramski, manager of MDOT's Newberry Transportation Service Center (TSC). "We're pleased that we are able to reopen the northbound lanes and we're anticipating opening the southbound lanes soon."

Two major projects were constructed within the closed stretch of I-75 this summer: culvert replacement on tributaries of the Pine River and bridge repairs over the Pine River. While MDOT engineers had planned to have both projects wrapped up by the end of August, crews discovered important structural steel repair work needed on the I-75 Pine River bridges. MDOT decided to add this work to the existing plans since the detour that would be required for the steel repair work was already in place. While the additional work has extended this year's detour into early fall, doing it now is saving time overall by not requiring crews to come back at a later time and detour this same stretch of I-75 all over again.

MDOT estimates the southbound detour will be lifted in approximately three weeks.

Roadway Work Zone Safety - We're All in This Together.

catch22


thenetwork

I'm impressed.  I hope the concrete this time around lasts a long time.

From the photos on the above link, I was surprised at the number of attendees.  Betcha my cousin in Livonia was there.

catch22

Quote from: thenetwork on September 21, 2014, 09:28:45 PM
I'm impressed.  I hope the concrete this time around lasts a long time.

From the photos on the above link, I was surprised at the number of attendees.  Betcha my cousin in Livonia was there.

MDOT estimates around 10,000.  I was thinking of going (I live a couple of miles south of the I-96/Newburgh Road interchange) but got tied up with household chores.

adventurernumber1

Now alternating between different highway shields for my avatar - my previous highway shield avatar for the last few years was US 76.

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127322363@N08/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vJ3qa8R-cc44Cv6ohio1g

AsphaltPlanet

I am interested to see what I-96 looks like after the reconstruction.  Say what you must about roads in Michigan, MDOT usually does a pretty nice job of it once they get around to reconstructing things.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

catch22

Quote from: adventurernumber1 on September 23, 2014, 05:30:18 PM
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3827796,-83.3653007,3a,75y,267.61h,87.21t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sI6sqe3LRABHYHSnuOWKI9Q!2e0

So this is what I-96 looked like before, according to GM. It did need some work on it, lol.

That picture is about 3 years old.  It was much worse than that before the rebuild, potholes and cracked asphalt galore.  All those longitudinal seams had opened up.

The Nature Boy

Quote from: AsphaltPlanet on September 23, 2014, 06:08:08 PM
I am interested to see what I-96 looks like after the reconstruction.  Say what you must about roads in Michigan, MDOT usually does a pretty nice job of it once they get around to reconstructing things.

They just have to make sure their trucks aren't eaten by potholes...........


getemngo

Quote from: catch22 on September 22, 2014, 11:16:52 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 21, 2014, 09:28:45 PM
I'm impressed.  I hope the concrete this time around lasts a long time.

From the photos on the above link, I was surprised at the number of attendees.  Betcha my cousin in Livonia was there.

MDOT estimates around 10,000.  I was thinking of going (I live a couple of miles south of the I-96/Newburgh Road interchange) but got tied up with household chores.


A.J. Bertin and Rawmustard were both there. I would have gone if I'd been able to afford the gas, especially considering I missed the Southbelt Shuffle.

Anyway, here's an article about how the spelling changed on some signs that were replaced. MDOT changed Middlebelt to Middle Belt, and they say that Middle Belt is the correct spelling according to Wayne County:

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/09/24/middle-belt-construction/16132055/
~ Sam from Michigan

catch22

Quote from: getemngo on September 24, 2014, 07:39:40 PM
Quote from: catch22 on September 22, 2014, 11:16:52 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 21, 2014, 09:28:45 PM
I'm impressed.  I hope the concrete this time around lasts a long time.

From the photos on the above link, I was surprised at the number of attendees.  Betcha my cousin in Livonia was there.

MDOT estimates around 10,000.  I was thinking of going (I live a couple of miles south of the I-96/Newburgh Road interchange) but got tied up with household chores.


A.J. Bertin and Rawmustard were both there. I would have gone if I'd been able to afford the gas, especially considering I missed the Southbelt Shuffle.

Anyway, here's an article about how the spelling changed on some signs that were replaced. MDOT changed Middlebelt to Middle Belt, and they say that Middle Belt is the correct spelling according to Wayne County:

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2014/09/24/middle-belt-construction/16132055/

They just may be right, at least from a historical perspective.  I posted a link on the other thread about this.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=6625.msg2008953#msg2008953

getemngo

Ahh, my bad. I missed that.

I do wonder where MDOT gets their spellings. For instance, East Beltline Ave. in Grand Rapids is signed "E Belt Line Ave" on I-96 and has been for a long time, since the signs are in FHWA font. All municipalities along it consider Beltline one word, and I assume it always has been... see the Beltline Bar on M-11 (which was the planned South Beltline before M-6 was built).
~ Sam from Michigan

getemngo

Governor Snyder has been talking nonstop over the last couple weeks about fixing Michigan's roads. Looks like the state legislature is working on a plan to increase funding.

Most notable: the possibility of a ballot proposal in May to raise the state sales tax from 6% to 7%.
~ Sam from Michigan

JREwing78

The legislature punted on the issue.

JCinSummerfield

This past summer, the state of Michigan completely replaced former state route M-151, which connected US-23 to US-24 & I-75 in Monroe County.  The road had been deteriorating and uncared for for going on 50 years, and was and absolute gold mine for auto repair shops.  The new road is such a pleasant drive.



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