East Stadium Bridges

The purpose of the E. Stadium Boulevard improvements project is to develop preliminary design plans for the replacement of the bridge structure over S. State Street -- and possibly the Ann Arbor Railroad --and to reconstruct the roadway pavement, from White Street (on the east) to S. Main Street (on the west) and under the S. State bridge. The addition of bicycle and pedestrian improvements, as part of roadway reconstruction, and the replacement and upgrading of the raw water main in the project area are also anticipated. Plans for detour routes and construction period traffic operations will also be prepared.

The age, condition and inadequate vertical clearance of the bridge over S. State Street make its replacement critical, especially given its location on such important east-west (Stadium) and north-south (State) streets. By replacing the bridge over the Ann Arbor Railroad tracks at the same time, it will be possible to reduce overall construction costs (as compared to two separate projects), as well as the disruption caused by detours and time lost in driver delays.

The project also includes the development of construction plans for non-motorized improvements on S. Main Street from E. Stadium Boulevard to S. Main Street/Ann Arbor-Saline Road. While other alternatives for providing bicycle access and accommodating pedestrian needs will be evaluated, Ann Arbor’s Non-motorized Transportation Plan calls for the construction of a “shared use” path on the east side of S. Main Street from E. Stadium Boulevard to the intersection of S. Main and Ann Arbor-Saline Road.

This project is listed as an urgent priority in improving non-motorized links in the City’s current Capital Improvements Program. This is because of the need to improve safety for the high volumes of pedestrian traffic generated by University of Michigan events and because S. Main is an important bicycle route linking Ann Arbor’s growing south side to and from downtown. The project will also be an important link to areas south of Ann Arbor, such as parts of Pittsfield Township and Saline. In fact, MDOT’s conditional commitment of transportation enhancement funding was based, in part, on the regional non-motorized connectivity this project will provide.

No, not at this time. Nevertheless, because of its inadequate vertical clearance, several trucks have hit the bridge structure doing extensive damage. Other accidental impacts could force its closure. As a result, an emergency plan for dealing with a sudden closure on E. Stadium and S. State is being developed; a detour system for a longer term closure is also being developed.

The process of planning and assembling funding for bridge replacement projects takes considerable time. This study process is a key step in determining which components of the E. Stadium Boulevard improvements project should get priority and how they can be funded.

A preliminary engineering study of the replacement of two bridges, roadway reconstruction (including sidewalks and bike lanes) and the replacement of the raw water main on E. Stadium Boulevard was completed in October 2005. The cost of all improvements was estimated to be approximately $31,000,000.1

Funding for the project has not yet been secured. Due to the estimated cost of the project, MDOT has asked the City to secure “a fair amount of funding from other sources” before MDOT will commit its funds. MDOT also asked the City to consider replacing only the bridge structure over S. State Street at this time.2

A variety of funding sources will need to be secured and coordinated. It is hoped that MDOT will provide funding support, including Local Bridge Program funds. It is anticipated that several City sources will be utilized including storm water, water supply and street millage funds. In addition, partnerships with The University of Michigan and Ann Arbor Golf & Outing will be explored and some special assessments3 are anticipated.

A preliminary cost estimate has also been prepared for the construction of a shared use pathway on the east side of S. Main Street (from E. Stadium to Ann Arbor-Saline Road). The estimated cost is $1,540,000. The City has received a conditional commitment for Transportation Enhancement funding through MDOT, totaling approximately $565,000. Additional funding may be provided through the City’s Alternative Transportation Fund, special assessment(s) and the participation of The University of Michigan. ROW acquisition and construction easements must also be negotiated with Ann Arbor Golf & Outing and others.

What is the planning and design schedule?
It is anticipated that the exploration of conceptual alternatives and the definition of a preferred project approach will take approximately 4 months, once a Citizens Advisory Committee has been appointed by City Council. Preliminary design (design alternatives; preferred design approach and preliminary design) will take 8 additional months. The preparation of construction documents for roadway reconstruction will take approximately 12 months, while construction documents for bridge reconstruction will take up to 18 months. If various funding sources can be secured, it is hoped that roadway reconstruction could start in late 2011 and bridge replacement in 2012 and 2013.

Conceptual and preliminary design for S. Main Non-motorized improvements will be undertaken concurrent with the E. Stadium Boulevard Improvements. As noted below, the City has received a conditional commitment for Transportation Enhancement funding through MDOT for FY 2011. As a result, it is anticipated that construction would take place in 2012.

When will construction begin? What is the overall construction schedule? Will construction take place at night (9pm to 7am)?

The start of construction will depend on when funding is secured. However, it is anticipated that roadway reconstruction on E. Stadium Boulevard will be undertaken as early as the Fall of 2010 (after the UM football stadium construction, and the home football schedule, are complete) and will continue through July 2011. It is hoped that bridge(s) reconstruction on E. Stadium can begin as early as November 2012; it is anticipated that this work will take two construction seasons to allow one lane of traffic to remain open on both E. Stadium and S. State Street. Some night time construction will be scheduled to minimize impacts on vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic and to safely perform some of the required work activities.

The City’s goal is to construct the S. Main non-motorized improvements in 2012.

Will vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists be able to use E. Stadium Boulevard, S. State Street and S. Main Street during construction?

Currently, it is anticipated that one lane of traffic will be maintained during construction on both E. Stadium and S. State Street. A minimum 5-foot wide parallel corridor for pedestrians and cyclists will also be maintained during construction.

Some lane closures will be needed to implement non-motorized improvements on S. Main Street. However, it is anticipated that a minimum of one lane of through traffic in each direction will be maintained at all times.

What detour routes are planned during construction on E. Stadium Boulevard? How much additional traffic is anticipated on the detour routes?

Alternative detour routes will be evaluated as project planning gets underway. Various routes will be analyzed using advanced traffic modeling procedures. These alternatives, evaluation criteria and comparative rankings will be reviewed with the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC), stakeholders and the larger community in workshops and other meetings before final recommended detour routes are selected.

Measures will be taken to reduce the overall impact of the optimal detour routes by addressing operational issues with traffic signals, pavement markings, transit operations and pedestrian/bicycle safety. These measures will be designed to handle the additional detour traffic volumes while balancing the needs of pedestrian, buses, trucks and bicyclists.

Previous construction detour route experience in Ann Arbor has indicated that not all traffic that would otherwise use the closed route will use the detour route. In fact, the Broadway Bridges construction detour in 2003-2004 (which used Glen Avenue and the Maiden Lane bridge in the northbound direction over the Huron River) experienced only about 30% of the traffic that previously used the Broadway bridges during the peak hours of traffic flow. Many vehicle trips did not occur in peak hours as a result of motorists’ desire to avoid using the detour route, and other vehicle trips took a path that avoided the construction area.

Yes. S. Main Street will remain open, as will South Industrial and S. State Street south of Stimpson and north of Granger. In addition, it is anticipated that a minimum of one lane of traffic, as well as bicycle and pedestrian access, will be maintained within the project area on E. Stadium and S. State during construction. A more detailed strategy for handling peak pedestrian traffic during UM events will be developed as plans for project phasing and staging are prepared.

The City. Michael Nearing, P.E., Senior Project Manager, is heading this effort for the City.

Consultant Team. The City has hired a consultant team to work with them including:

Stakeholders and the Larger Community. The design team will also meet with immediately adjacent property owners (The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Golf & Outing and the Ann Arbor Railroad) and public agencies (for example, Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, Ann Arbor Public Schools, Fire and Police Departments) to discuss issues and opportunities as they arise.

Other project area stakeholders and the general public will be invited to participate in the planning and design process in two ways:

Workshop dates, materials and summaries will be posted on this website, as will the CAC meeting schedule and summaries.

Planning Commission and City Council. Planning Commission and City Council will receive regular updates on the progress of planning and design. Ultimately, City Council will decide whether the projects will go forward and what form they will take.

The replacement of the existing E. Stadium bridge structures provides an opportunity to add bike lanes and add and/or widen sidewalks to improve non-motorized connections and safety. While the number of travel lanes on both E. Stadium and S. State will remain the same, roadway re-paving will provide a smoother surface.

The configuration of bicycle and pedestrian improvements on S. Main Street (from E. Stadium to Ann Arbor-Saline Road) has not yet been decided. However, the City’s Non-motorized Transportation Plan recommends a shared use path (for cyclists and pedestrians) on the east side of the street.

Depending on community priorities and funding availability new landscaping, street lights and attractively designed and finished retaining walls could significantly enhance the visual appeal of both projects

How will this project benefit the general public?
The project will benefit the community in the following ways:

1 This preliminary estimate is based on 2006 dollars.

2 November 21, 2006 letter to the City of Ann Arbor from MDOT’s Local Bridge Advisory Board.

3 Special assessments, generally collected over a number of years, can be levied on property owners receiving a benefit from a public improvement. Special assessments are typically used to fund sidewalk and utility construction.