Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is finishing a two-year project to widen I-94 from four to
six lanes from Lovers Lane to Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo.
(MDOT Photography Unit photo)
I-94 is a northern route connecting two of America's largest cities — Chicago and Detroit. This interstate passes near Kalamazoo, a city of about 75,000, and connects with State Road 131, one of the major north-south expressways in the state.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is finishing a two-year project to widen I-94 from four to six lanes from Lovers Lane to Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo. This project connects expansion work completed in previous years along the corridor. The $87 million project also will include rebuilding four bridges. The job will include rebuilding the Portage Road interchange with a single-point urban interchange, while Kilgore Road will be realigned at Portage Road. The majority of work is expected to be completed around June of 2023.
Andy Stamm, construction engineer of Michigan DOT, stated that some of the important work in this area had been first designed in 1997. Only recently had funding been made available for the work to progress.
"This road had poor quality and was at the end of its service life," he said. "The bridges were desperately in need of work as well."
The project will require some 81,000 cu. yds. of concrete and 20,000 tons of asphalt.
"The old concrete, asphalt and steel from the bridges will be recycled," said Stamm. "The old concrete will be crushed on-site and used as aggregate under the new roadway. The bridge beams from the bridges will also be recycled."
The project also will involve traffic signal upgrades, noise barrier construction, freeway lighting and work on a culvert.
"When the project is completed, it will benefit Michigan motorists with a road that is updated to new safety standards and will have increased traffic capacity," said Stamm.
Often work teams encounter surprises when replacing worn out pavements. In this case the excavation team discovered a 1950s-era concrete roadway buried 25 ft. below the ground. The concrete prevented the replacement of a culvert. Workers repaired the culvert instead of replacing it.
Last year all traffic was moved on the westbound section of I-94 while the eastbound lanes were being rebuilt. This year the newly rebuilt eastbound lanes will carry the brunt of the traffic while the westbound lanes are being constructed. Motorists should see a marked improvement in their driving experience with the additional driving lanes as well as the easier access to I-94 through the new interchange at Portage Road. During construction Kilgore Service Road carried traffic from Kilgore Road. Later the Kilgore Bridge over I-94 was closed then permanently removed. Freeway ramp detours along local surface roads enabled motorists to continue their travels while roadwork was being performed.
Toebe Construction and M & M Excavating in a prime contract partnership, along with subcontractors, replaced four bridges, built noise walls and handled 2.7 mi. of roadway reconstruction. The bridge package included demolition of existing structures, 15,000 ft. of pile driving and 50,000 sq. ft. of sound wall construction. The company and contractors installed both steel beams and concrete beams.
M & M Excavating carried out dirt work, excavating and preparation of the soil for construction. M & M moved 30,000 cu. yds. of earth as part of the project.
Equipment used in the project included the following:
- Excavators: Volvo EC 380E, ECR 355E, ECR 145E, 309, EC480E and EC480; Komatsu PC300 LC and 490; John Deere 85D; Cat 321C, 315F, 235, 325 and 326F
- Dozers: John Deere 450J; Komatsu 51xpi, 71PXI and 51 PXI
- Loaders: Komatsu WA320 and WA 380; Volvo H0ll7; Cat 950M, 938 K and 950M
- Trucks: Superior Broom 310 broom truck; International gas truck, water truck; Cat 725C off road; John Deere 300D off road; Volvo 111 off road; and Volvo A25G off road
- Cranes: Link-Belt LS-Z18H11; Terex HC165; and Manitowoc MLC 165-1
- Lifts: Genie S-60 Trax lift; JLG 860SJ lift
- Other: 3630 John Deere tractor with concrete breaker; Cleveland 754 trench machine; 872 John Deere grader; Takeuchi skid steer; 745 Hammtronic roller; Concrete batch plant. CEG
Chuck MacDonald
Chuck MacDonald is an editor, blogger and freelance feature writer whose writing adventures have taken him to 48 states and 10 countries. He has been the editor for magazines on pavement construction, chemicals, insurance and missions. Chuck enjoys bicycling, kayaking and reading. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. Chuck lives in Annapolis, Md. with his wife Kristen. They have seven grandchildren.
Read more from Chuck MacDonald here.
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