MADISON HEIGHTS RECEIVES MCPA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Nowak & Fraus Engineers (NFE) is pleased to announce that its client, the City of Madison Heights, has won the Michigan Concrete Paving Association (MCPA), 2009 Award of Excellence, in the Residential Paving Category, for the North Eastern/Girard Avenue Pavement Reconstruction Project. Nowak & Fraus Engineers had the honor of serving as lead consultant overseeing both the design and construction administration for this significant City of Madison Heights project.

This $1.0 million dollar residential street reconstruction project was completed in the summer of 2008 and was part of the City of Madison Heights continuing effort to improve its roadway and utility infrastructure for the long term benefits of its residents. Prior to reconstruction, residents had experienced significant seasonal flooding and poor ride quality conditions due to a narrow, crumbling pavement and insufficient drainage.

As part of the road reconstruction, the existing ditches and culverts were removed and replaced with a new separate concrete storm drain system. In conjunction with the road reconstruction, the City of Madison Height’s DPS replaced the existing water main throughout the subdivision. The old seal-coated pavement was replaced with 8,000 square yards of 7” and 8” non-reinforced concrete pavement with integral curb and gutter.

Typical road construction normally includes the usual inconveniences of construction noise, dust and debris, and long closures forcing residents to have long walks to designated parking areas. However, this project also included mitigating measures such as dead end street construction and securing drainage easements for the newly separated sewer system needed to drain the low lying areas adjacent to the public right-of-way, which could not be eliminated. To reduce disruptions to this neighborhood and expedite construction, NFE designed and the contractor implemented temporary sidewalks for the residents to allow for a safe pathway to access their property during construction.

To coordinate all aspects of this project, weekly progress meetings were held with the city, contractor, and NFE engineers to expedite scheduling, staging, and to respond to resident’s concerns. The city insisted that NFE respond to citizen’s concerns expeditiously. For this project, James T. Schafer implemented a computerized program established by the City of Madison Heights called “Request for Service”. This tool allowed for citizen issues to be logged in a data base regularly reviewed by NFE for immediate investigation and resolution by staff. Through this effective communication tool, Nowak and Fraus and the City of Madison Heights were able to respond with effective coordination of complex construction operations in a timely manner.

NFE is proud to share in the success of the City of Madison Heights in receiving this award, and we are very pleased to be an integral member of the project team.