By Christina Collie
Despite what may look like major road construction, the Court Street and Dort Highway project, underway since April of this year, comes down to maintaining the infrastructure for the culvert below the two roads.
According to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the agency leading the project, an entirely new culvert — basically a tunnel that redirects water — is being fabricated as part of the months-long construction.
“This culvert is not a typical box culvert, which usually run perpendicular to the roadway,” explained Caitlyn French, communications representative for MDOT, over email.
French noted the new culvert will run under Commerce Street on the north side of Court Street, turning just before Dort Highway and then taking a 45 degree angle under the intersection to its opening, which used to exist under a now-demolished gas station.
“Overall, this culvert is 800 feet long and we are removing 300 feet of it and replacing a 250 foot section,” French said, adding that the new culvert will be 24 feet wide by 10 feet tall, while the original was about 12 feet wide and 7 feet fall.
East Village Magazine (EVM) also asked French for a few more updates on the project in late July.
Here’s what she had to say, with minor edits for length and clarity:
EVM: What is the end goal of this project?
MDOT: Essentially this is a culvert replacement because the existing culvert [running under the intersection of Dort and Court] has been compromised by the waterway [Gilkey Creek] and replacement is needed to maintain the integrity of the roadway.
EVM: Where is the money coming from for the project?
MDOT: The funding for this project is a combination of federal, state and local funds. The funding breakdown is as follows: 81.85% federal funds, 15.8% state funds, and 2.35% local funds.
EVM: Why wasn’t this project completed as part of the Court Street work done in 2020 – 2021?
MDOT: Trying to complete this work alongside the Court Street project would have meant more road closures in the area.
EVM: Did the person/group who approved this project come out in person to look at the area being worked on?
MDOT: Our project sites are always evaluated and studied before the project and monitored by MDOT staff during work.
EVM: Who is the contractor, and how were they chosen?
MDOT: We opened this project up to bids. When we do this, any prequalified contractor can bid on projects and the lowest responsive bidder will be awarded the project. Dan’s Excavating was selected with a bid of $7,668,290.92.
EVM: Who is monitoring the construction?
MDOT: MDOT’s Davison TSC (Transportation Service Center) is supervising this project, with assistance from MDOT’s Bay Region Office and Lansing staff.
EVM: Why was the intersection closed for almost two months before it seemed that any actual work started, and why is there such a long span to get the project done, yet we rarely see work actually being done?
MDOT: This closure was to accommodate necessary work by several utility companies, including electric, gas and cable and communications companies. The closure was to allow them to relocate several utilities before construction work. In addition to the utility work, the old gas station site on the corner required additional work before the culvert work could begin. The station was built on top of the existing culvert, so the underground tanks and piping of the station had to be removed.
There are also other factors to account for as the project progresses, including work on city-owned water and sewer lines in the project area, water and soil environmental requirements due to the gas station, and supply chain delays.
EVM: How will the work be evaluated once complete to make sure it was done correctly?
MDOT: MDOT has inspectors on-site evaluating the work being done. Engineering staff from the Davison TSC, the Bay Region Office, and Lansing are also overseeing and will evaluate the work.
_
Aside from the new culvert, the construction project promises other improvements, such as new traffic lights and opening of the land on the southwest corner of the Dort and Court intersection where the demolished gas station once stood. That area will become part of the adjacent Pierce Park, which itself has been undergoing some major developments.
The Dort and Court construction project was originally estimated to be completed in October 2024, but French noted that it’s now looking more like November due to a delivery delay for the new culvert. The culvert was meant to arrive in August — to coincide with the creek’s lower water levels, she explained — but is now expected to arrive after Labor Day.
