I-69 Reconstruction Near Marshall, MI

Project Focus
This $11.1 million project reconstructed 5.28 miles of I-69 near Marshall. This heavily trafficked section of I-69 has an ADT of 19,700. Through traffic was detoured head to head on the opposite side of I-69 during the two-phase construction. The project team maintained access on slip ramps at the F-Drive interchange during all construction. In addition to the removal and replacement of approximately 169,000 sy of existing pavement with new 11-inch non-reinforced pavement on 4-inch of open graded base, the scope included ramp terminal improvements, full-depth concrete pavement patches, guardrail upgrades, drainage improvements, including a 63” x 98” elliptical pipe installation, several in-place culvert rehabilitation liners and replacement of ROW fence.

Project Details
Construction & Innovation
Concrete was mixed with a Rex Model-S central mix plant, and delivered to the grade in a steady supply of end dumps to maintain a continuous flow to the paving train. The paving train consisted of Guntert & Zimmerman 850 paver equipped with a transverse dowel bar inserter (DBI) and a tube-finishing machine to smooth small irregularities behind the paver. A daily check of the dowel bars ensured proper placement.

Quality
The contractor was required to provide a five-year material and workmanship warranty on the concrete pavement. The Contractor, to provide risk management for the warranty and to ensure quality built into the project, developed and executed an internal CQV program that included testing, inspection, and thorough documentation.

The Contractor used wire for grade line string control to attain greater tension and decrease the chance of line sag, thus improving smoothness. The contractor also used a lightweight profilograph machine to test the ride every morning and make adjustments.

MDOT required that a “Shilstone" mix be developed using a blend coarse aggregate, intermediate aggregate and a fine aggregate to optimize the quality of the concrete. The on-site blend of the three materials produced a “Coarseness Factor” within Zone 2 as defined by the Shilstone Company. This was monitored twice each day to ensure compliance. The Contractor earned 100% strength incentive.

The smoothness requirement was 29" per mile maximum on the zero-blanking band specification. Minor grinding was required to achieve this desired result.

Schedule & Complexity
The two phase project, with a Contract deadline of May 2005, was started in April 2004 and opened fully to traffic in November 2004.

Public Relations
MDOT, with the cooperation of the Contractor, held public meetings before the project started and updated information as the project proceeded to keep the public informed.