Zierdt Rd new construction (Madison: design, rating, areas)

[Maya Blue]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Just a little update that I've heard about - some of the neighbohoods along Zierdt and Martin Roads are up in arms about the very slow progress on the project (first conceived, I believe, and 2004 and still far from completion), so one person started a campaign with local television stations. At least one station is doing a story on progress being so slow, heavy current traffic loads, etc., and even before the stories air it looks like work has picked up. It'll be interesting to see how long that lasts.

I might add that in 2004, there were only two neighborhoods along Zierdt Rd - Mountain Brook and Edgewater (and possibly the apartments just south of Edgewater - can't remember when they were built). But now, along Zierdt there is the Reserve (huge) and Bell Tower, and on Martin there is Lake Forest, a couple of condo/townhouses, and I believe another large development planned by Breland. Traffic is pretty heavy all day, and generally stopped during rush hours.

Colonial Grand and Sun Lake apartments have been there since the 90s.

But yes, the progress on that road is absolutely ridiculous.

[RocketDawg]

Looks like they've brought in loads of dirt to fill in the northbound lanes in the area that floods. Otherwise, I haven't seen any work being done on Zierdt Rd or the Madison Blvd intersection the past few days. They're burning some really nice weather.

Went to Walgreen's at Madison Blvd/Shelton Dr this afternoon, and turning into the shopping center off Shelton is quite an experience. There are a couple new thick layers of asphalt with a considerable drop-off. It would really be rough in a low-slung car. No work has been done in that area in a while either.

[Coogan]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Looks like they've brought in loads of dirt to fill in the northbound lanes in the area that floods. Otherwise, I haven't seen any work being done on Zierdt Rd or the Madison Blvd intersection the past few days. They're burning some really nice weather.

Went to Walgreen's at Madison Blvd/Shelton Dr this afternoon, and turning into the shopping center off Shelton is quite an experience. There are a couple new thick layers of asphalt with a considerable drop-off. It would really be rough in a low-slung car. No work has been done in that area in a while either.

Crews were out late last night doing work on the Zierdt/Martin intersection. I went to the Mapco around 11:30 pm and they had bright lights and a lot of machinery out there chugging away. They were still working this morning.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Coogan

Crews were out late last night doing work on the Zierdt/Martin intersection. I went to the Mapco around 11:30 pm and they had bright lights and a lot of machinery out there chugging away. They were still working this morning.

Cool. I guess they've shifted efforts to the south end. Were they paving? I'd read a month or two ago they'd be paving at night, but most of the work on the north end was done in the daytime best I could tell.

I guess it's coming along, but slowly.

It's been pointed out that the city prioritized Cecil Ashburn (even have a bonus for early completion), but none for Zierdt Rd, which has slugged along for over a decade. I just looked at the latest traffic counts, and they're almost the same. Cecil Ashburn was 16,500 in 2017 and Zierdt was 15,500 in 2012 (and almost certainly higher in 2020 pre-Covid closures). Kinda makes a person wonder why one is so much more important than the other.

[minister]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Cool. I guess they've shifted efforts to the south end. Were they paving? I'd read a month or two ago they'd be paving at night, but most of the work on the north end was done in the daytime best I could tell.

I guess it's coming along, but slowly.

It's been pointed out that the city prioritized Cecil Ashburn (even have a bonus for early completion), but none for Zierdt Rd, which has slugged along for over a decade. I just looked at the latest traffic counts, and they're almost the same. Cecil Ashburn was 16,500 in 2017 and Zierdt was 15,500 in 2012 (and almost certainly higher in 2020 pre-Covid closures). Kinda makes a person wonder why one is so much more important than the other.

Yup - they're paving - very slowly, very painfully, and very awkwardly in my opinion. Multiple layers in different phases, and it's been rough on my Civic.

Drove by there tonight at 10:30pm and they've got the lights out again paving. I really wish they'd finish the turn lanes going west onto Martin off of Zierdt.

[Big Grumpy]

Work at the Zierdt/Martin intersection is focused on bringing the original intersection area up to the same elevation as the new NB lanes. Initially, there was about a 4 foot delta between the original and new. The difference now is probably less than a foot. They are accomplishing this by adding layers of asphalt within the intersection and extending outward for 20/30 yards in all directions before tapering off. Essentially, they are raising the elevation of the old intersection by continually adding 4-6" layers of asphalt.

Once they get the old road up to elevation, they will pave and tie the new NB lanes into Martin and finish creating and paving temporary lanes to the north of Martin. They will then shift the intersection north and east with Martin traffic driving on the temporary road surface and Zierdt traffic driving on the new NB lanes. Once Martin traffic is shifted, the contractor will begin constructing the eastbound lanes. These lanes will also be at a significantly higher level than the existing road. When that half of the road is completed, traffic will be shifted to the new lanes and work will start on the westbound lanes.

Work at the northern end of the project is at a standstill until the curbing subcontractor returns the work site and finishes the curbing along the SB lanes at Mountainbrook, along the inner and outer edges of the NB lanes, and at the Zierdt/Madison Blvd intersection.

While work at the northern end is at a lull, the contractor has moved to the berm at Lady Ann Lake to rework a portion of the NB lanes that have flooded several times in the past two years. The low area that was prone to flooding is being raised somewhere in the vicinity of two feet with fill dirt. The subgrade will be redone and then pavement and curbs will be redone.

The transition of traffic to the NB lanes from Mountainbrook south cannot happen until the Martin/Zierdt intersection work is finished, the Nature's Way crossover is finished, the rework at Edgewater is completed, and the traffic signal at Edgewater Drive is erected and functional.

Work on the Martin project is at a standstill because Reed cannot get the subgrade material specified by ALDOT in the contract to compact properly. Evidently, ALDOT chose a different type of aggregate material than is normally used. Reed has pulled their work crews until ALDOT determines a path forward.

[RocketDawg]

Thanks Grumpy. That's good information. But it seems like there's one delay after another. Maybe these delays are typical and it only seems odd because the information is known.

[Teko03]

Originally Posted by Big Grumpy

Work at the Zierdt/Martin intersection is focused on bringing the original intersection area up to the same elevation as the new NB lanes. Initially, there was about a 4 foot delta between the original and new. The difference now is probably less than a foot. They are accomplishing this by adding layers of asphalt within the intersection and extending outward for 20/30 yards in all directions before tapering off. Essentially, they are raising the elevation of the old intersection by continually adding 4-6" layers of asphalt.

Considering how poorly this project has been handled thus far (lastest snafu requiring them to re-do the northbound lanes at Lady Ann Lake to increase the elevation again)...is anyone else concerned about the long term durability of 6 feet asphalt behind used to increase the height of the road at various points?

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Teko03

Considering how poorly this project has been handled thus far (lastest snafu requiring them to re-do the northbound lanes at Lady Ann Lake to increase the elevation again)...is anyone else concerned about the long term durability of 6 feet asphalt behind used to increase the height of the road at various points?

Yes, seems like a novel way of doing things. That's a lot of asphalt, and sounds expensive as well, compared to compacted fill.

[Big Grumpy]

Teko - It's four feet plus what was already existing, not six feet, but yeah I get the point and wondered why they chose to go this route instead of just excavating and elevating the roadbase with fill dirt and crushed limestone or similar material. I asked the city engineer and design engineer about this when the contractor first started adding layers at the intersection. My question was relative to the pavement distress (cracks, depressions, potholes, etc.) in and around the intersection and how it made sense to add layers of asphalt on top of a potentially compromised roadbase. I will post the response I got back tomorrow.

To be clear I believe the Zierdt/Martin intersection is the only part of the Zierdt or Martin project where this practice of layering asphalt is being employed.

For those that haven't heard, sections of the Zierdt SB lanes are only being milled and repaved and other sections are to undergo a complete rebuild. I don't believe the SB phase was ever stated as anything but a rebuild, but that's not what's being done. It's a piecewise rebuild. A similar milling and repaving exercise is also all that's being done at the Madison Blvd and Zierdt intersection.