The Premarc Corporation - Success Stories - Michigan's M-6 Interchange

Michigan's M-6 Interchange

Grand Rapids - In Michigan, products are built to last. The automotive industry helps drive the American economy, and its major city lives on with the "Motor City" moniker. Little wonder that the state is known for its heavy traffic and slow commutes when the weather turns nasty. Supporting the great highways and structures of Michigan is a fabric of buried concrete pipe that carries stormwater and snow melt to the rivers and streams that flow to the Great Lakes. Premarc Corporation's network of production facilities has been instrumental in building a modern precast concrete infrastructure that will last for generations.

When driving east-west through Grand Rapids during rush hour, traffic congestion and slow-downs are common. Combine the east-west volume with merging traffic from US-131, and you have a bottleneck of angry motorists.

Work is currently under way on a greatly anticipated east-west limited access freeway in the southern Grand Rapids area. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been working on development of the Paul B. Henry Freeway (M-6) for 20 years. Once completed, the M-6 will provide improved travel service through southern Kent and Southeastern Ottawa counties. With its eight interchanges, this freeway will alleviate traffic and congestion on local roads. MDOT estimates the new freeway will reduce travel times by as much as 50 percent in the area.

M-6 is being completed in three phases. The first phase was started in 1998 and included construction of 5.7 miles of new road. This phase was opened to traffic in November 2001. The remaining two phases will open to traffic in 2005.

The M-6 project has been broken into several different contracts and awarded to numerous contractors. The $160 million M-6/US-131 Interchange is the largest of these contracts and also the largest single MDOT contract ever bid. In addition, it is the most challenging portion of the M-6 project. The scope of the project includes new construction of a freeway-to-freeway interchange, construction of M-6 from Clyde Park Avenue to Division Avenue, 28 new bridges, and 14 new ramps. Reconstruction and widening of 4.2 miles of US-131 from 76^th street to 44^th street is also included in this contract.

Kamminga & Roodvoets, Inc., (K & R) was awarded all of the underground utilities and earthwork for the M-6/US-131 Interchange. The M-6 project was ideal for K & R's level of expertise because the firm has a reputation of performing more difficult and "risky" projects as they relate to schedules and field conditions.

A joint venture between contractors was formed to handle the M-6/US-131 Interchange. According to Kurt Poll, Vice President of Engineering at K & R, "We formed a tri-venture on the project a few months prior to the bid. K & R is managing the underground and earthwork, C.A. Hull Company is building the 28 bridges and miscellaneous sound and retaining walls, and Ajax Paving Industries is constructing the concrete pavement." The Joint Venture partners have worked together in the past and knew they would bring the necessary skills to the project to win the contract.

MDOT's desire to achieve a long design life motivated them to specify concrete products for the drainage system. Quality products, competitive prices and a manufacturing plant located within 10 miles of the M-6/US-131 Interchange prompted K & R to select the Premarc Corporation as its preferred supplier for all the reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and associated drainage products. To date, Premarc has supplied 11,960 feet of 12-inch; 1,810 feet of 15-inch; 1,984 feet of 18-inch; 1,264 feet of 24-inch; 1,592 feet of 30-inch; and 3,448 feet of 36-inch diameter RCP. Road Culverts accounted for 3,607 feet of the concrete pipe shipped. Pipe supplied in the 12-inch to 36-inch diameter range were manufactured to ASTM C-14 and ASTM C-76 standards. Large diameter RCP supplied to the project included 1,696 feet of 42-inch; 272 feet of 54-inch; and 312 feet of 72-inch diameter pipe. Pipes in these sizes were manufactured to ASTM C-76 standards.

Connecting the storm sewer involved the installation of 580 drainage structures ranging from 24-inch to 60-inches in diameter. Twenty structures were supplied in diameters of 72-inch through 96-inch.

High quality products and Premarc's network of production facilities were instrumental in the management of on-time deliveries. Contractors were able to install product and stay on schedule without incurring costly delays because of close proximity of production facilities in Grand Rapids, Durand and Cadillac. Premarc used its own self-unloading fleet to deliver over 200 shipments of product to the job site.

A crucial section of the M-6/US-131 Intersection included the US-131 crossing over Buck Creek. This bridge was specified as a concrete three-sided structure in accordance with MDOT specifications. Premarc was contracted to supply a CON/SPAN Bridge System. Installation of the bridge included part-width construction, allowing partial installation of the structure.

Installation of the CON/SPAN was divided into two phases. Phase one, installed in July 2002, consisted of 106 feet of a 28 foot span X 11 foot rise system. Along with the spans, a permanent headwall was attached to one end of the system while a temporary headwall was attached to the other end. The temporary headwall had a significant slope across the face, which included a difference in elevation of 7 feet from one end to the other.

Phase two will be installed in the spring of 2003. It will consist of 150 feet of the 28 foot X 11 foot system to be installed along with a permanent headwall containing the same slope as the temporary headwall. Units in both phases of the bridge sit on 6-foot high X 2-foot 9-inch wide pedestal walls. This creates the necessary hydraulic capacity to meet the peak storm flows. Since the Con/Span System does not require a bridge deck to be built, traffic will be quickly re-directed onto US-131.

When construction is completed in 2005, a much needed traffic artery will be in place to handle the continued growth in the Grand Rapids area. By having the foresight to specify concrete products, the Michigan Department of Transportation has guaranteed the life cycle, safety and quality of this new belt line that is built to last.

Project:	M-6/US-131 Interchange

Owner:	Michigan Department of Transportation

Designer:	Michigan Department of Transportation

Contractor:	Kamminga & Roodvoets, Inc., (underground utilities and earthwork) Kurt Poll, Vice President of Engineering C.A. Hull Company (bridges and sound/retaining walls) Ajax Paving Industries (concrete pavement)

Quantities:	11,960 feet - 12-inch diameter RCP 1,810 feet - 15-inch diameter RCP 1,984 feet - 18-inch diameter RCP 1,264 feet - 24-inch diameter RCP 1,592 feet - 30-inch diameter RCP 3,448 feet - 36-inch diameter RCP 3,607 feet 12-inch to 36-inch diameter RCP culvert pipe 1,696 feet - 42-inch diameter RCP 272 feet - 54-inch diameter RCP 312 feet - 72-inch diameter RCP 580 (24-inch - 60-inches diameter) drainage structures 20 (72-inch - 96-inch diameter) drainage structures 256 feet (28 foot X 11 foot) CON/SPAN

Producer:	Premarc Corporation Durand, Michigan Robin M. Wolf, Director of Marketing

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