West Central Avenue is one of the main streets of Northern Michigan’s Mackinaw City, housing everything from homes to restaurants to churches to the Mackinaw Area Public Library. Until recently, West Central Avenue was also one of Mackinaw City’s most run-down streets, with the pavement clearly outliving its 20-year lifespan.
Locals have long considered West Central Avenue overdue for repair, but it wasn’t until mid-2016 that the Mackinaw City Village Council approved a proposal to rehabilitate the road. The proposal involved a 10-week construction timeline and 1.7 miles of roadway rehabilitation, including cru... Read more
West Central Avenue is one of the main streets of Northern Michigan’s Mackinaw City, housing everything from homes to restaurants to churches to the Mackinaw Area Public Library. Until recently, West Central Avenue was also one of Mackinaw City’s most run-down streets, with the pavement clearly outliving its 20-year lifespan.
Locals have long considered West Central Avenue overdue for repair, but it wasn’t until mid-2016 that the Mackinaw City Village Council approved a proposal to rehabilitate the road. The proposal involved a 10-week construction timeline and 1.7 miles of roadway rehabilitation, including crushing and shaping, road widening, storm sewer and water main improvements, and more. Team Elmer’s, working as a subcontractor on the project for Rieth-Riley Construction, was responsible for ECD dirt drilling and sewer work.
The main challenge of the project was keeping the roadway open for the entire length of the contract. Since West Central Avenue is such a key road for Mackinaw City locals, closing it down completely wasn’t a realistic option. As a result, every stage of the project—including pulverization of the old road base, crushing and shaping, and two complete layers of asphalt application—had to be carried out with at least one lane open for traffic.
Still, while the rehabilitation process may have been a hassle for local residents while it was going on, it will ultimately pay big dividends for the community. Not only did the project revitalize the roadway and replace cracked or potholed pavement with fresh new road, but it also expanded parts of West Central Avenue to include three lanes for traffic. The result will be a cleaner, smoother, and more efficient route through the center of Mackinaw City.
By The Numbers
- 1.16 Acres Clearing
- 909-Sqyds Concrete Removal
- 7,291-Yds Earth Excavation
- 8,472-Tons Aggregate Base
- 41,652-Sqyds HMA Base Crush and Shape
- 192-Ft of Culvert
- 1,204-Ft Sewer Installation
- 1,461-Ft Curb & Gutter
Date Started: July 5, 2016
Date Completed: November 4, 2016
Self-Performed: Subcontractor (to Rieth-Riley Construction)
Partners: Rieth-Riley Construction, Marshall Concrete (curb and gutter), Dale Dukes and Sons (guard rail)
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