Frequently Asked Questions
The Hall Road (M-59) Project
MDOT will rebuild Hall Road from Romeo Plank Road to I-94 in Clinton Twp. The project will be constructed in two phases:
- Phase I, Romeo Plank Road to east of Elizabeth Road, March-November, 2021
- Phase II, East of Elizabeth Road to I-94, March-November, 2022
- MDOT will replace:
- All lanes and turnarounds with new asphalt
- Water mains and storm sewers
- Mast Arm Signals will match those in the corridor to the west
- Ramps and enhanced sidewalks will be ADA compliant
- Bridge work maintenance will be performed
- NB turn lane will be added to the Groesbeck Hwy (M-97) intersection, allowing for dedicated dual right turns on to EB M-59
- Landscaping will be added
- For more information, download the brochure
There will be a 14-day closure at the Railroad Crossing between M-97 and M-3 in Fall 2021. Temporary crossovers will help maintain business access, and detours for through-traffic will be posted.
We balance our project schedule so each closure is coordinated with the next one to minimize the impact on motorists.
Lighting is not part of this reconstruction project. We suggest that you contact your city representatives to discuss their lighting plans.
Due to the high volume of traffic on Hall Road/M-59, MDOT has concluded that a road diet (lane reduction) with protected bike lanes would cause gridlock for the 90,000 vehicles that travel daily along this roadway.
The intersection Groesbeck Hwy and Hall Road is being realigned to improve safety and comfort when crossing M-59. Traffic signals will also have pedestrian activated push buttons to ensure the “walk” phase of the traffic signal is activated during the next safe opportunity to cross.
Business During Construction
They will be constructed one side at a time where there is only one access point. One driveway may be closed at a time for properties with multiple access points. MDOT will work with our contractor to provide ample notice to businesses about scheduling and access.
There will be temporary pedestrian detours while the intersection and crosswalks are rebuilt.
We fully understand your concerns and are here to help wherever we can. We have kept records of how traffic flows during major construction projects like this one, and have not seen patterns of reduced traffic over time. In addition, our Ombudsman, James Petronski, is available to answer your questions and concerns with information that can keep your customers and employees informed about things like access, traffic shifts and driveway closures. He can be reached here:
Phone: 586-201-3867
Email: MDOT-MovingMacomb@Michigan.gov
Yes, we have created a list of businesses and will send mailers and emails to each one. If you have not received communications from us, please send your contact information to this email: MDOT-MovingMacomb@Michigan.gov. In addition, we encourage everyone to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Road Materials
The service life of a new asphalt road is approximately 20 years. If there is deterioration, we will mill the top and fill in the road. With concrete patching, you have to close lanes, remove concrete, lay it down, and give it 24-48 hours to cure. Asphalt is better for maintenance in busy areas. Modern asphalt is designed to stand up to heavy commercial traffic without rutting.
We are using hot mixed asphalt. All asphalt materials come from certified sources with quality control and assurance testing done regularly. Our top layer of asphalt is what is called a gap-graded superpave. This mix is used in high traffic areas because it performs the best. It is a specialized mix that has strict aggregate requirements, higher asphalt content and generally results in longer service life.
This project is a full depth hot mix asphalt construction job. No concrete is planned. Calculations have been performed that show that the thickness of the HMA is equivalent to what we would have built if we were using concrete.
MDOT conducts a life cycle cost analysis on the quality materials it uses. In this analysis, planners and engineers study:
- the cost of maintaining the road
- the amount and type of traffic
- the cost of paving material.
Visit How to Build a Road for more info.
Although regular road maintenance is expected on any project, we have incorporated the latest technologies on M-59 to increase its life:
- Hot-mix asphalt (HMA) must be placed at temperatures often exceeding 250F, and to last, it’s extremely important that ALL of the pavement is hot, with no cold spots. One of the ways that our contractor ensures that this happens is to use a material transfer device. This device is placed in the front of the paver and ensures that all HMA moves from the truck to the paver efficiently and thoroughly. This prevents some of the HMA from sitting in the paver and cooling off before it can be placed on the roadway.
- One of the ways that pavement begins to fail is when joints between the lanes open up and allow moisture in. We are echelon paving—36' across, not lane by lane—to reduce the number of joint and possible entry points for water. When you add that to our drainable base/additional underdrains, we are greatly reducing the risk of trapping water and freeze/thaw problems that diminish pavement life.
General Information
We don’t have incentives to finish early, but the contract will be adjusted if the contractor takes longer than planned.
Yes, we can lay pavement in the cold and constantly monitor asphalt temperature for optimum compaction.
Yes, contractors are held responsible for materials, workmanship and performance warranties. They must perform all corrective actions at no cost to MDOT, which conducts cursory and detailed inspections throughout the warranty period.