Rehabilitation of nearly a mile of Mack Avenue on the east side of Detroit received an Asphalt Paving Award of Excellence from the Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Road conditions had become extremely poor; average speeds were limited to 10 MPH and vehicles were forced to make lane changes to avoid large, distressed pavement areas. The 6- to 7-lane roadway, including a 450-foot-long bridge over a Conrail switching yard, was restored as part of the City’s Capital Preventive Maintenance program, extending the life of this urban corridor by 7 to 10 years.

To maintain access for the roadway’s 20,000 average daily users, part-width construction was used. Bridge repairs included deck patching, application of a bridge-deck sealer and joint replacement. Joint leakage was eliminated by relocating the joints at the abutments onto the approach roadway. Extensive patching and a 3.5-inch hot mix asphalt overlay were used to restore the surface. Concrete pavement, joint, curb and gutter repairs were also performed. Several unused driveways were removed, 250 feet of new sidewalk was constructed, and sidewalk ramps were upgraded to current ADA guidelines.

Wade Trim provided design, WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff provided construction engineering, and Ajax Paving Industries was the contractor for this project funded through MDOT’s Local Bridge Program.