The Road Going Down, A Pleasant Ridge Cool Construction Story (video)
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 18, 2014)
For many people the closest attention they pay to road construction is to give dirty glares past orange barrels in the middle of traffic jams. But in a peaceful part of Pleasant Ridge, the reconstruction of Cambridge Blvd. between Ridge Road and Maplefield gave residents a front row view the process from start to finish. And it’s more interesting than one might expect.
City Commissioner Jay Foreman thought the action was intriguing enough to capture with his camera. “It’s amazing how efficient this process is, and the constant stream of cement trucks very well-timed and ready to go,” he said. ““To me this process is a mechanical and logistical marvel. From the equipment that stretches across the width of the entire road and turns massive piles of wet concrete into a perfectly formed road with curbs and proper crowning to the constant stream of cement trucks, staged and ready to pour. It was hard for me to leave because not only did I find it interesting but I also felt like a 10-year old version of myself as I watched. It’s really something to see.”
DiLisio Contracting did the “well-timed” work of laying down metal tracks along the sides of the gutted roadway. Cement trucks then dumped their loads in front of a giant machine that churns the wet cement, spreads it out from rail to rail, and flattens it as the machine passes over it. Workers go along the rails behind the machine, smoothing out any rough patches and digging necessary holes for drains.
In a memo from Scott Pietrzak, then Acting City Manager, from Feb. 2014 the entire project is described: “The Capital Project Funds section of the budget shows the project that is commonly referred to as W. Cambridge reconstruction project. This includes W. Cambridge, sidewalks on W. Cambridge, the alley from Woodward Heights to the City border and the Kenberton sidewalk project. The total amount for those projects including a 10% contingency is $639,700.00 . The Alley and Kenberton sidewalk has been completed.”
The money from project came from various sources. $54,500 came from local and major streets fund, $600,000 came from infrastructure millage, $80,000 came from local/major fund balance. This made $734,500 available and a balance of $95,500 carried over to the next project. The next street on the list to be done is Oxford, with an ideal start date of Summer 2015. However, that project will depend on the funds available at that time.
Check out Commissioner Foreman’s video below:
For other Pleasant Ridge news, check out our Pleasant Ridge section at https://oaklandcounty115.com/category/pleasant-ridge/.
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