south airport road traverse city construction april 2018

Instead, we used a line stop, a temporary valve to stop the water flowing down the pipe, and trim the excess section. The water main had to be lowered 10-feet, but the stipulation was that Team Elmer's couldn't shut off the water to do the move. Particularly challenging was a 20-inch water main utility situated beneath the road. In order to achieve this aim, Team Elmer's first had to lower the existing utilities 10 feet to allow enough coverage to avoid freeze-thaw cycles affecting the new utility location once the existing road was lowered to its new elevation grade per Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) requirements. The existing grade required a 12-foot cut to reach the 7% grade for the road section.

The hill was the core focus on the project, requiring Team Elmer's to significantly adjust the grade of the road. The project was unique in many respects, including how much of the work was concentrated in such a small space. The Grand Traverse County Road Commission awarded Team Elmer's the task of repairing Lafranier, with a special focus on reducing the grade to 7% at the end of the mile and half portion of the road that featured a steep hill and the South Airport intersection. Needless to say, the street needed a face-lift. Lafranier was also deteriorating and didn't have the pedestrian amenities necessary to support the numerous neighborhoods and developments along the road. Located south of South Airport Road, Lafranier Road featured a steep 12% grade that made stopping at the intersection difficult-particularly during Traverse City's hazardous winter seasons. The intersection at Lafranier Road and South Airport has made drivers uneasy for years. Until recently, South Airport Road at Lafranier Road also played host to a less desirable feature: one of Traverse City's most dangerous intersections. South Airport Road is one of Traverse City, Michigan's busiest roads-a street that not only houses the entrances to Cherry Capital Airport and a slew of businesses, but one that many residents also use as an east-west traffic corridor to access to the outer Traverse City area.

South airport road traverse city construction april 2018