Location: Michigan/Ohio State Line to Erie Road Contractor/Supplier: Ajax Paving Industries Design Engineer: AECOM Construction Engineer: Fishbeck Owner: MDOT - Brighton TSC
Begun in 2019 and completed during the 2020 season, this extensive project consisted of just over 5 miles of roadway and bridge reconstruction from the Michigan/Ohio state line to north of Erie Rd. in Monroe County. Ajax was tasked with paving over 400,000 square yards of both 12-inch and 8-inch concrete pavement (totaling 136,100 cubic yards) as well as nearly 466,000 square yards of 6-inch Cement-Treated Permeable Base (CTPB). This extensive project also included reconstruction of 9 bridges (consisting of 784 concrete box culverts), nearly 20,000 feet of concrete barrier, and just over 39,000 feet of valley gutter.
Ajax utilized both asphalt and GOMACO pavers to place the 6-inch CTPB in multiple widths, as well as slipform pavers for the concrete pavement in widths ranging from 11 feet to 26 feet. Ajax set up 2 portable batch plants within a half mile of the project to supply all concrete mixtures for the project.
Multiple concrete mixes were developed to construct this project to maximize quality and curing times while placing concrete in all weather conditions. A maturity curve was developed for each mix with maturity tags installed in each day’s pour to help expedite initial breaks and track pavement temperatures. MDOT also included a 5-year Materials and Workmanship Warranty for the mainline concrete pavement on the freeway and ramps.
The placement of the CTPB needed to be scheduled and staged so construction traffic did not haul on the finished base prior to the placement of the concrete pavement. The project was set-up in multiple stages to construct the last 1,500’ of the freeway to tie-in the Ohio pavement, while maintaining heavy traffic volumes and limiting construction activities outside MDOT’s jurisdiction. The ramps to both Erie Rd and Summit St were only allowed to be closed for a certain number of days to be reconstructed to help maintain local access.
MDOT designed this section of I-75 with a 6-inch cement-treated base under the 12-inch concrete pavement as an enhanced pavement section to handle the 55,000 ADT that utilizes this section of freeway, consisting of about 30% commercial vehicles in an area of Monroe County with a high-water table due to its proximity to Lake Erie. The result is a strong, durable section of divided highway that will stand the test of time.
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (2)")
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (7)")
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (6)")
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (3)")
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (9)")
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (4)")
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (5)")
.png "19. I-75 State Line To Erie Rd (8)")