Stories indexed with the term ‘roads’

Newport & M-14

The “horse” I fell off a couple weeks ago. [photo] Rode it to Maple Road and back. Yes, I was nervous.

Not all Newport hazards are man-made: nearly kissed a deer who stepped out from behind a bush 10 feet in front, and then retreated, all before I could react. Still, good to see signs of repairs soon to come to some of the decayed road surface.

County Board Sets Hearing on Road Tax

Following a lengthy discussion at their May 7, 2014 meeting, Washtenaw County commissioners voted to set a public hearing about a possible countywide road millage. The hearing will be held at their meeting in two weeks – on May 21 – so that the public can give input on a proposal to levy up to 1 mill for roads.

The tax would  be levied under Act 283 of 1909. The vote to set the public hearing was 5-3, over dissent from Ronnie Peterson (D-District 6), Felicia Brabec (D-District 4) and Yousef Rabhi (D-District 8). Rolland Sizemore Jr. (D-District 5) was out of the room when the vote was taken.

No final decision about whether to levy the millage is expected at the … [Full Story]

How the E. Stadium Bridge Gets Monitored

E. Stadium Bridge, Ann Arbor

Michael Nearing, an engineer with the city of Ann Arbor, wields a hammer. The hammer was used for two different purposes: "sounding" the concrete for structural integrity and clearing away de-laminated concrete so that it would not fall on cars below.

Since late February, the East Stadium Boulevard bridge over State Street has funneled vehicles across the span in just two of the available four lanes. The lane reduction is a strategy to protect the fifth – counting from the southern edge of the bridge – of the 16 beams in the structure. That fifth beam is “sagging” 7/8 of an inch lower than other beams in the bridge. So traffic is currently restricted to the northern lanes. [Previous Chronicle coverage of the bridge provides additional background.]

In her update to city council in early March, Sue McCormick, the city’s director of public services, indicated that the bridge was being closely monitored in order to verify the safety of the bridge. Here at The Chronicle, we wondered what “monitoring” entailed. [Full Story]

Huron River Drive Reconstruction

The detour signage from Bird Hill Road leading to Huron River Drive (HRD) was still in place this morning, but the road itself was open again for business. One driver wasn’t aware that the option to turn right from Bird Hill had been restored, but it didn’t matter because she was planning to turn left anyway.

huron river drive reconstruction ann arbor

The ground cover along the shoulders of Huron River Drive is starting to sprout. The goal is that it will help stabilize the shoulders through the winter.


[Full Story]