Local Public Agencies in Michigan Embrace Bridge Bundling!

 There are nearly 500 bridges on the local transportation system rated in serious or critical condition and this number continues to grow.  Historically, all 310 Michigan local agency bridge owners have only been able to pursue very limited state or federal funding to address their bridge needs.  There have also been insufficient resources to do long-term planning or to develop programs to improve bridge conditions efficiently and effectively.  The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and local agencies proposed to strategically address the problem as if the entire local bridge network were under unified ownership.  The MDOT and 14 local agencies agreed to a Pilot Bridge Bundle Project in 2020 that used a Design-Build (DB) contract method to deliver a bundle of 19 bridge superstructure replacements through final design and construction. 

A Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) was developed comparing two build scenarios: the Pilot Bundle Project and delivery through the typical MDOT Local Agency Program (LAP) process.  The first build scenario, the Pilot Bundle Project, produces a B/C ratio of 3.56 whereas the second build scenario, the MDOT LAP/typical local agency delivery process, would have produced a B/C ratio of 3.50. While the benefit to society exceeds the project cost in both build scenarios, the Pilot Bundle Project had a higher B/C ratio, indicating greater societal benefit relative to project cost.  This benefit is due to being able to recognize safety, emissions, vehicle operating cost, and travel time benefits two years earlier than with the more traditional LAP/Local Agency delivery scenario in the analysis. 

The benefits quantified in this analysis only reflect a portion of the expected value to society of completing the Pilot Bundle Project. Additional unquantified benefits include maintenance cost savings, administrative cost savings, and quality of life benefits.  MDOT’s bridge bundling has also been proven to streamline administration, coordination and increase economies of scale for more cost-effective delivery of locally owned bridge projects.

In 2022-2023, four more bridge bundle projects, consisting of 13 local agency bridges, were advertised and let. Current progress is shown on the MDOT Local Agency Bridge Bundle program website.  Also shown are additional bridge bundle projects currently under development to be advertised in subsequent years of the program with both traditional and innovative delivery methods planned.

MDOT and the local agencies worked together as partners to deliver these bridges on time, and in some cases early and under budget.  The overall success of the pilot project utilizing this programmatic approach was evidenced in the feedback received and subsequent legislative support for future bridge bundling phases.  Below are some responses of feedback and the major themes of the Pilot Bundle Project that were received by the local agency owners in a post-construction survey conducted last year.

How did the local agency cost participation compare to traditional MDOT LAP or locally administered superstructure replacement projects?

Macomb County Department of Roads:  Considering the Bridge Bundle Pilot Project was 100% funded by MDOT and MDOT's Program Management Consultant Team handled the CE and PE, the local agency cost participation was less costly.  Typical MDOT LAP Projects:  We contribute 20% of Construction Costs and perform/fund 100% of PE and CE.  Typical Local Administered Projects: Local Agency funds 100% of Construction Costs, PE and CE.

 What did you like most about the performance of the Pilot Bundle Project?

Livingston County Road Commission:  The ease of the project from our perspective.  Both projects were completed on time with high quality with very little local involvement.

Clinton County Road Commission:  Required minimal RC staff time for oversight, allowed us to focus on other projects.  The project Ombudsman was a great idea, a role that is often overlooked on projects, a single point of contact to address questions, comments, concerns from both the local agency and general public.

If you would like to learn more about MDOT/Local Agency use of bridge bundling, please contact Ms. Sue Datta, Senior Project Manager, MDOT, or Mr. Matthew Moulton, Big Bridge Management and Scoping Engineer, MDOT.  If you would like to learn more about FHWA support with bridge bundling, please contact Mr. Bryan Dillon, Highway Engineer, FHWA.

Home safe tonight, we want the best for our people!

In 2019, the CEO of leading construction and materials firm, Allan Myers, began observing that safety helmets for motorcycles, bicycles, race car drivers, and other extreme sports were embracing innovation for the safety of their participants. CEO Ross Myers approached Paul Ziegler, VP, Safety, about finding better, safer helmets for Allan Myers employees over the traditional model ANSI Type I hard hats construction firms have been using for decades. With some research into hard hat innovation, Ziegler found that things had changed. Later that year, he purchased and distributed several ANSI Type I plus EN 12392, side, front, and back certification helmets. The initial distribution outfitted two crews, with a Superintendent who was progressive and interested in the trial's outcomes.  One crew in this initial trial said they had been waiting for them and were eager to give them a try. The trial crews embraced the new helmets immediately. 

To help employees better understand the change in safety helmets, Ziegler’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) team prepared an educational document to be distributed with the new helmets during rollout. This document was provided to the foreman of each crew to educate their teams about the new helmets and about the commitment of the company to their safety, the “why” of the new helmet. Change is hard, so a few grumblings were heard, but overall, the rollout was extremely successful. Employees happily embraced the new helmets and respected the company for being so committed to their safety.

It has been a few years since Allan Myers did the initial trial and implementation of the new safety helmets, so the company went back to that first crew that received the safety helmets to see how it was going. The following comments were received:

Would you go back to the old hardhat?

Employee A:  I feel like there is no need.  These hardhats that we have now are way more comfortable.  They have way more attachments than other hardhats did, and you feel way safer with them on.

Employee B:  I would rather keep these.  They are a lot lighter, and a lot more comfortable.  The attachment pieces are pretty cool.  It makes life quite easy.

Employee C:  I don’t like the old hardhats, this one’s a lot better.  The tightening on the back actually works.  The last one, even when I tightened it all the way up, it would move.  Everything as it should be.

Employee D:  I like these hardhats; they have a lot of different options.  You can put the sun brim on and the face shields that the guys wear.  They are easy on, easy off.  I think they are a better quality too.  As far as durability, they’re a lot better made than old hardhats.

Do you feel safer?

Employee A:  Hell yeah!

Employee B:  The (chin) strap took a little while to get used to.  But out here and in the work that we do, it makes it a lot safer for falls or night work on the road.  It keeps your hard hat on your head.

What has the general feedback been like?

Employee A:  I’d say the overall attitude, the crew feels like, the company they work for cares about them.  They feel safer, more productive, with the different attachments.  Instead of paying $10 for a piece of plastic from a store, the company spends a little more money to protect the most important part of the body, with something that looks like a professional piece of equipment.

Allan Myers has saved two lives with these new helmets from objects falling from above. One incident was a piece of plywood falling from the top of a bridge deck and hitting an individual on the back of the helmet/head.  The second was a lagging board falling about 30 feet and hit an individual’s helmet/head on the side.  The second was a lagging board falling about 30 feet and hitting an individual’s helmet/head on the side.  These individuals and Allan Myers believe that these employees are recovered, fully functioning individuals today because they were wearing the new safety helmet and were wearing it properly.

In addition to the two incidents of falling objects, the helmets saved the lives of two Allan Myers employees seriously injured by vehicles in work zones.  Ziegler, with more than 35 years’ experience in highway construction, says he has never seen the dangers as bad as they are now working on the roadways. 

“In each incident, our teammate was properly wearing the ANSI Type II safety helmet. It truly saved their lives,” reflected Ziegler.

If you would like to learn more about Allan Myers efforts to ensure employee safety, please contact Ms. Shannon Moody, Director Marketing and Communications, Allan Myers.  If you would like to learn more about FHWA efforts to ensure the safety of employees in the field, please contact Mr. Bryan Cawley, Highway Engineer, FHWA.

Technical Resources

Other Resources

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Construction

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/

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