Workers patch concrete joints on M-6 west of Wilson Avenue, along a stretch that the Michigan Department of Transportation plans to repave this year. (Courtesy of MDOT)
Deteriorating portion of M-6 an 'anomaly'
By Amy Biolchini | abiolch1@mlive.com
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – M-6 will be closed for five months this year, as four miles of the westernmost portion will be reconstructed.
The consensus among township officials, politicians and municipal officials: just get it done.
"When a horse is dead, quit feeding it oats," said State Rep. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville, explaining it was time to stop patching M-6 and just re-do it.
Here are five key points to know about the upcoming reconstruction project:
M-6 west of Wilson Avenue along a stretch that MDOT plans to repave this year. (Courtesy of MDOT)
1. Four miles of concrete will be completely rebuilt
Originally built in 2004, the concrete portion of M-6 was at first on the books for major repairs for 2022, according to Michigan Department of Transportation officials.
But nearly four miles of the westernmost portion has deteriorated faster than anticipated -- and will be completely rebuilt this year at a cost of approximately $10 million. The warranty on the road has expired, so MDOT will be paying for the road from its budget.
A map of the M-6 reconstruction project provided by MDOT that shows the proposed detour route, alternate route and portion that will be rebuilt. (Courtesy of MDOT)
The section that will be replaced is from Wilson Avenue to Interstate 196.
Those four miles were built by Ajax Paving, who had a $22.5 million contract in 2003 to build the concrete road from I-196 to Burlingame Avenue and from Division Avenue to Patterson Avenue.
"It's a rare occasion when we have a failure like this," said Matt Block, a project manager with MDOT, calling the advanced deterioration of the road "unforeseen" and an "anomaly."
2. Work will begin July 8 at the earliest
Though officials originally said construction would start in June, it now appears that the start date for the rebuild will be no sooner than July 8.
The work is expected to last several months. The contractor must be done with the work by November 6, 2017, according to stipulations MDOT is putting in the bid.
Documents about the reconstruction of the western portion of M-6 were on display during a public meeting hosted by MDOT at the Jamestown Township Office in Hudsonville on Thursday, May 11, 2017. (Mike Clark | MLive.com)
3. The road will be fully closed to traffic in both directions
The project will require a full closure to all traffic. Initially, the road will be fully closed from Byron Center Avenue west to I-196.
(Courtesy of MDOT)
After it closes, the contractor will have 28 days to finish work on the westbound lanes between Byron Center to Wilson Avenue. After the first 28 days of the project, westbound traffic will be allowed to travel west on M-6 and exit at Wilson Avenue.
Eastbound lanes of M-6 will remain closed the entire time.
Mike Waldner, left, and Paul Kamphuis with the Ottawa County Road Commission look over documents about the reconstruction of the western portion of M-6 during a public meeting hosted by MDOT at the Jamestown Township Office in Hudsonville on Thursday, May 11, 2017. (Mike Clark | MLive.com)
4. Detour routes will push more traffic onto U.S. 131
Though local detour routes will be posted, westbound truck traffic on M-6 will be routed north on U.S. 131, through downtown Grand Rapids and then west on I-196.
Similarly, eastbound trucks on I-196 will be routed to southbound U.S. 131 through downtown Grand Rapids and then east on M-6.
Through traffic coming from the east on I-96 will be detoured away from M-6 at the easternmost interchange with signs.
Light trails produced by a 10 second exposure show the newly opened portion of M-6 looking east from the 8th Ave. overpass. (File photo/The Grand Rapids Press)
5. The road could be re-done with concrete
The concrete portion of M-6 that has failed could be re-done with concrete -- and by the same contractor that laid it the first time.
MDOT is choosing to bid the reconstruction as an alternate pavement bid, which pits the concrete and asphalt industries against each other to propose their best estimates for the project.
Nothing precludes the original contractor on the job from bidding, MDOT officials said.
MDOT will open the project for bid submissions June 2.
A computer program will use a formula to review the bids and then will pick the best one by the following Monday, which will then be reviewed by staff.
The formula takes into account the length of time the road will be shut down and actual bid prices of the construction items.
More from MLive
See which major Michigan roads will be under construction in 2017
M-6 rebuild postponed by a month, will start in July
$9.5M in repairs to M-6 can't wait another year, MDOT says
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