Griswold Road

Giffels Webster completed the preliminary engineering for the $2.8 million gravel road paving project located on Griswold Road from 8 Mile to north of 9 Mile in the Charter Township of Lyon. The Giffels Webster team was contracted to provide a detailed geotechnical report and pavement design, programming assistance, right-of-way and grading easement documentation and completion of the construction documents meeting the requirements of the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The project was funded with Surface Transportation Funds and approved through the Huron Valley Federal Aid Committee with oversight from both the RCOC and MDOT.

The majority components of the project included a detailed soils analysis which resulted in a design that included the removal of poor soils including numerous areas of peat and the construction of a pavement section that included opengraded drainage course, geotextile fabric and geogrid.

Because the roadway was constructed in an undeveloped area of the Township, a dedicated storm drainage outlet was not readily available. A network of ditching, culverts and enclosed storm drains was constructed to convey roadway runoff to adjacent wetland areas and a County drain located east of Griswold Road.

Due to the anticipated increase in traffic, Eight Mile Road was widened at the intersection to provide a dedicated left turn pocket for east bound traffic. Additionally, the intersection of Nine Mile Road was reconstructed to provide a dedicated left turn lane at each leg of the fourway intersection in anticipation of the installation of a traffic signal at a future date.

The finished project resulted in over 1.1 miles of an existing 22-foot wide gravel road being converted to a 24- foot wide deep strength HMA roadway with 3-foot wide HMA and 5-foot wide gravel shoulders that includes guardrail, railroad crossing, pavement markings and permanent signage improvements.