At the end of the summer, Team Elmer’s began a long and complex project on Pine and State Streets in Traverse City, Michigan. We were tasked with an almost complete replacement and overhaul of the sewer, water, and storm utilities throughout two blocks of downtown Traverse City. Pine and State Streets utilities needed nuanced attention, and all work needed to be completed with minimal disruption to the city’s thriving downtown business scene. Furthermore, the tight scheduling demanded by the contract left little room for error, and even less for unforeseen complications: everything had to be planned to a tee.

Luckily, the City of Traverse City understood the significance of the reconstruction, giving Team Elmer’s permission to launch the project earlier than anticipated. The City also was a key partner in negotiating traffic control changes to allow for flexibility in a compact and heavily trafficked area. By maintaining one lane of traffic and working on multiple sections of the project simultaneously, Elmer’s was able to maintain downtown accessibility and make swift work progress at the same time. Much of that progress was thanks to the task-specific schedule Elmer’s had drafted prior to breaking ground, a detailed plan the we kept updated on a week-to-week basis through progress meetings and strong communication, and a tool that proved invaluable in moving us towards our goal.

With concerns about gridlock and looming deadlines mostly silenced, Team Elmer’s set to work. Sidewalks were removed, concrete pavement shattered, and installation of electric, cable and phone utility conduits rendered. On numerous occasions, existing underground utilities interfered with our newer installations, and Team Elmer’s had to be consistently receptive to conflicts in planning, adapting on the fly to make things work and fit regardless. Meanwhile, Traverse City Light & Power provided a strong assist, by installing all electrical and communication lines underground and replacing street-lighting at numerous work sites.

All told, Elmer’s installed 14,925 lineal feet of conduit throughout the project, along with vaults, handholes, and light poles, none of which was included in the original operation scope. And once all the underground work was done, we still had to clean up our mess, providing new grading, concrete curbs, sidewalks, intersection pavement, gravel bases, asphalt and brick pavers, parking meter bases, new signs, and fresh pavement markings—all to make sure we left State and Pine better than we had found them and as the plan specified.
 

By the Numbers

• Street Length: 1,100 lineal feet
• Various Sized Conduit: 14,925 lineal feet
• Sidewalk Removed: 1,457 square yards
• Pavement Removed: 7,584 square yards
• Aggregate Base, 6-8 in deep: 5,657 square yards
• Curb and Gutter: 1,949 feet
• Concrete Sidewalk Installed, 4 and 6 in: 18,899 square feet
• Hot Mix Asphalt, 4E10: 1,353 tons
• Pavement Markings: 5,062 lineal feet
• Total Days On-Site: 57

Contract Amount: $670,000 and an additional $150,000 in electrical work from Traverse City Light & Power
Date Completed: November 2012
Partners: Subcontractors: Bella Concrete, Give-em-A-Break, P.K. Contracting, and Cobblestone Pavers. Engineers: City of Traverse City Engineering, Traverse City Light & Power, GRP Engineering for TCL&P, BSI Inspections
Self-Performed: 75%