By Barbara Hicks
MDOT

Context sensitive solutions (CSS) is an abstract term for a very down-to-earth approach to designing transportation projects. This approach relies on early and continuous dialogue with members of the community to identify common interests and build consensus, so that bridges, interchanges, bikepaths and other transportation projects are built to "fit" their physical settings.

"When you design a transportation project that is meant to last 20 to 30 years, you want to avoid a cookie-cutter approach," said Mark Van Port Fleet, MDOT engineer of design. "Everyone benefits when extra care is taken to ensure that the completed project does what it is intended to do, looks good and reflects the community's values and objectives."

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) believes that incorporating CSS principles into transportation project design enables the department to arrive at transportation solutions that keep a community mobile and safe, while respecting its scenic, historic, economic, cultural and environmental resources.

In 2003, Gov. Granholm issued an Executive Directive that requires MDOT to incorporate context sensitive solutions into transportation projects whenever possible. To date, the department has held two CSS workshops that were attended by several hundred representatives of local government, road commissions, industry groups, land use advocates, and state agencies, to further this partnership.

MDOT has recently completed a number of projects that meet planning and engineering objectives while satisfying specific needs identified by the communities involved.

A recent CSS project involved the M-69 bridge over the Paint River in Iron County. MDOT needed to preserve the historic bridge, built in 1924, and maintain a safe traffic flow. After talking with the city of Crystal Falls and the State Historic Preservation Office, MDOT held a public meeting and learned that residents were concerned about safeguarding the bridge's historic spans.

The only one of its kind in Michigan, the concrete bridge consists of two primary arch ribs.

The construction of the old bridge made collapse highly possible if either rib were compromised. There were other challenges, including protecting the river and its natural setting, and creating driving conditions on the bridge that would reassure local motorists who reported feeling crowded when sharing a curve with large trucks such as logging trucks and manufactured home haulers.

Another challenge involved working with the city, which wanted to keep traffic moving on the main street during construction. The MDOT design preserved the historic aspects of the bridge, including the spandrel columns, superstructure, railing, lighted columns, standards and lamps with some critical modifications. To accommodate wider travel lanes, the superstructure was widened by six inches and each sidewalk was reduced by six inches. Drainage problems were addressed and new lighting, based on the original design, was installed, adding to both the safety and ambiance of the rehabilitated bridge.

Realizing that it was not feasible to keep traffic on the main street during construction as the city preferred, MDOT ended up investing nearly $350,000 to upgrade the city streets that would serve as detour routes. In order to minimize disruption to local businesses, MDOT placed signs at strategic locations along the detour route to let motorists know that the downtown district was open for business. Additionally, small businesses were encouraged to place their own "open for business as usual" signs along the detour route.

Finally, MDOT paid for dedicated law enforcement in the construction work zone to keep speeds down on the part of the detour that went through a residential area. There were no accidents during the five months the detour was in effect.

Returned to service in 2002, the bridge now serves as both a gateway into Crystal Falls and a focal point for the non-motorized path along the Paint River. The project was completed in just one construction season at a final cost of $1,130,545. A traditional bridge replacement that followed 2005 design standards would have cost approximately 25 percent more.

Even more important, such a design would have had greater environmental impacts, not blended as harmoniously with the surroundings and would not have been as visually respectful of the bridge's history with the community.

"We even were able to accommodate snowmobile traffic on the bridge," said Mike Premo, the MDOT Crystal Falls Transportation Service Center manager responsible for the project. "Paint River is a good example of how working closely with the community can result in a win-win solution to a transportation problem. The residents of Crystal Falls were happy with the final result and with how we kept them in the loop throughout planning and construction, and the department was satisfied that the rehabilitated bridge will continue to serve the community for a long time to come."