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Narrator: When you hear "MDOT," roads and construction generally come to mind,
but, again in 2016, MDOT has been involved in a variety of multi-modal projects.
Many initiatives involving public/private partnerships
put Michigan at the forefront of automated vehicle development;
most notably, the groundbreaking for the American Center for Mobility,
a nonprofit testing and product development center
for connected and automated vehicle technology.
This past summer saw stretches of I-69
testing communications and technology
for Army vehicles and future truck platooning,
which could increase capacity of freeways, reduce fuel consumption
and save money thanks to a partnership with MDOT
and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center.
The Freeway Lighting Public Private Partnership completed its first year of operation.
The project involves replacing about 90 percent of approximately 15,000 antiquated lights on freeways
in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties with energy-efficient LED lights.
The purpose of the project is to provide freeway illumination to the traveling public
for motorist visibility, traffic safety and personal security,
with projected savings of $13 million over the next 15 years.
MDOT was a key partner in delivering another unprecedented public-private partnership,
the $180 million M-1 RAIL QLine streetcar project in Detroit.
This project will serve city residents, visitors, Wayne State University,
and several cultural and entertainment facilities,
returning streetcar service to Detroit for the first time in 60 years.
It is on track to unlock billions of dollars of investment along this historic corridor.
From rails to roads, this fall saw the completion of a two-year,
$70 million major reconstruction project at the I-96/US-23 interchange in Livingston County,
one of the state's busiest. This project resulted in significant safety and operational improvements
at the interchange, which included constructing new through-lanes on I-96
and changing the existing lanes of I-96
to local, or collector-distributor, lanes for easier and safer lane changes for ramp traffic.
In total, the project included building three new bridges over US-23 and Old US-23
and rebuilding the existing six bridges.
During the 2016 construction season, MDOT invested more than $1.5 billion
in the state trunkline Highway Program and supported over 16,000 jobs.
650 lane miles of roadway were rehabbed and reconstructed
and over 150 bridges were improved and repaired.
While most of that work was witnessed publicly during construction season,
for MDOT that meant working and planning with local officials years in advance.
Michael DeVries: Representatives from MDOT and the road commission and the township met with
the various folks from both within the district to let the businessowners know that
we would try to keep impacts to a minimum.
But the whole communication was wonderful because people only become upset
when they don't know what's going on or if they don't have enough time to react.
But it was done with enough lead-time to make sure that folks could make their adjustments
knowing that there was going to be some disruption.
Mark Slown: There's a TV show, Modern Marvels of Engineering.
You got one right here in Ishpeming. And it really is amazing
and it's a tribute to our Michigan Department of Transportation
and our policing and our engineers and our contractors who do the job.
Jeremy Spell: MDOT was very up front from the very beginning.
Once the project was approved and it was going to happen,
MDOT was right up front, kept me informed as the supervisor,
kept the community informed. It was a great project, it was very needed.
All in all, I think the project wrapped up ahead of schedule
and done very well. I'm very happy with it.
I have heard no complaints from anybody about it.
Steve Clark: And, MDOT, you know, I've got to give more kudos to them because
trail projects are not easy. I mean, you have soil issues you have to deal with,
sometimes right of way issues you have to deal with,
safety issues you have to deal with.
You know, with the design, we had some challenges and MDOT was able to work with us.
During construction there was some challenges and MDOT worked with us through those, too.
So, you know, without their support, again, we wouldn't be standing here today.
So kudos to MDOT, most definitely.
Narrator: So as the heavy machinery and orange barrels are put away,
MDOT engineers and planners are already working on projects for 2017 and beyond.
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