MDOT: Wrong Concrete Mix Used On Portions Of Northbound I-75 Lanes In Oakland County
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan Department of Transportation inspection teams working on Segment 2 of the I-75 modernization project in Oakland County discovered the incorrect concrete mix was used recently on portions of the project, including the left two lanes of northbound I-75 from 13 1/2 Mile to 14 Mile roads, and the shoulders on the exit ramps to Big Beaver and Rochester roads.
Due to this discovery, contractor paving crews will remove and replace those affected portions before all paving is completed in late 2020. Currently, both directions of I-75 are sharing the southbound side of the freeway, separated by a temporary concrete barrier between 13 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway. Two lanes are open in each direction.
"This is inspectors doing their jobs," said MDOT Metro Region Engineer Kimberly Avery. "The pavement designated for replacement is safe for drivers to use, but the long-term durability is compromised and the reason for our actions."
Contractor crews began removing the shoulder on a portion of the Rochester Road ramp this past weekend and have already replaced the pavement. Replacement of the left lanes from 13 1/2 Mile to 14 Mile roads and the remainder of the shoulder pavement on the ramps will be delayed until next year during the final year of the overall project.
In 2020, both directions of I-75 will be sharing the new northbound pavement in order to allow crews to rebuild the southbound lanes between Coolidge Highway and 13 Mile Road. Engineers have determined that this section is safe for drivers to use over the winter months.
"This direction is the equivalent to enforcing a warranty," Avery said. "This action does not add additional costs to the contract and protects the taxpayer investment in the future."
This $224 million project involves reconstructing more than 8 miles of pavement in each direction, improving 18 structures, upgrading drainage, constructing community-developed aesthetics and federally approved noise walls, and continuing construction of an additional travel lane between Coolidge Highway and 13 Mile Road.
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