Location: Intersection of Avon & Dequindre Roads - Rochester Hills, MI Prime Contractor: Z Contractors, Inc. Concrete Contractors: Angelo Iafrate Construction Company, GM & Sons, Inc. Concrete Supplier: Doan Companies, Inc. Design Engineer: OHM Advisors Owner/Construction Engineer: Road Commission for Oakland County
Several factors made this project a unique challenge.
The first hurdle was that the project had to be constructed under very tight constraints. The bridge and roundabout had to avoid 30" and 66" diameter sanitary interceptors, a sanitary pump station, a 36" diameter water main, a large water main pressure-reducing vault, and numerous above-ground and below-ground private utilities. Besides utilities, the project had to avoid impacts on the public parkland and floodplain.
The second challenge was the need for portions of the roundabout to be constructed on the bridge. Typically, roundabout splitter islands are constructed off the bridge deck. Due to the tight sight constraints, splitter islands were constructed on the bridge deck using specialized reinforcement and separate concrete pours.
The third challenge was the schedule. The bridge was constructed over the winter such that the project was completed on time (8/15/22) prior to the peak business period for the adjacent Yates Cider Mill.
Finally, aesthetics were very important. Formliners were used to depict natural features on the bridge. Decorative concrete using a dark grey coloring with a wood plank pattern was placed on the bridge deck.
This project was bid in September 2020, and the project team hit the ground running in the spring of 2021 and started placing concrete in April. A team effort was used to assist with the joint layout, ensuring a quality result and a great-looking intersection for motorists to navigate.
