Construction Update — Gold Section 8/27/25
Construction update from RCOC
Remainder of this week and next week
Mike’s Landscaping is continuing restoration work in the Gold section, with topsoil and sod in the construction areas. At this point, Mike’s has completed sprinkler repairs throughout the section, with the exception of 11 homes that require boring under the driveway to place conduit or connect lines. If you are experiencing issues with your sprinkler system that don’t involve boring under the driveway, please email Wayne Dabrowski at wdabrowski@rcoc.org with a copy to Mark Meszler at mmeszler@roadrehab.solutions. The goal is to have all sprinklers fully operational, and sod laid throughout the Gold section by the end of next week.
In preparation for the holiday weekend, all contractors will be out of the neighborhood by 3 pm on Friday, August 29. Work will resume at 7 am on Tuesday, September 2.
Week of September 8
DVM will be in the neighborhood early in the week to line clay pipes in a few locations on Hamilton and the Cliftons. This work will take about a day.
Fort Wayne will be adjusting the heights of drainage structures in the road to prepare for paving.
Miller Brothers will begin removal of remaining asphalt from Gold section streets to expose the sub-grade. This will be the beginning of preparations for paving. At this point, the sequencing of streets for milling, grading and paving has not been determined, but will likely start with Glengarry and Williamsbury. See discussion below regarding these operations, which will significantly impact access, parking and travel.
Swimming pool draining/closing
With fall upon us, residents will begin to schedule having their pools drained and closed for the season. While our roads are under construction, water from pools being drained cannot be released into the street, especially once the existing asphalt has been removed as described below. Pool water will soak the sub-grades and may cause failure of the new road. Residents with pools will need to ensure their contractors either drain pool water into their own yards, or truck the water away. Please be considerate of your neighbors and other residents and keep your pool water out of the street this year.
Milling, grading and paving
The next major sequence of events in the Gold Section will be preparation for paving, then paving itself. How it works:
Step 1 - Milling
Milling will remove all of the remaining asphalt in the roadway. This operation involves a mill and a series of gravel haulers into which the millings will be dumped. The equipment will move slowly down each street and block the entire width. Once a gravel truck is filled, it will exit and a new one will take its place.
During milling, there can be no parking whatsoever on the street during the workday. Residents can leave vehicles parked in the garage or driveway, with the understanding that access to the street may be blocked for a period of time by the milling equipment and gravel trucks. Residents who will need access to their vehicles on the milling day should park them elsewhere. Overnight street parking is acceptable, but vehicles should be off the street by 6:30 the next morning.
Milling will be loud and very dusty. The mill and gravel haulers communicate with each other using their horns, to signal when to move, when to stop. Residents will want to keep windows and doors closed while the operation takes place. Plan on milling taking about a day per street with shorter streets requiring less than a full day. We tentatively expect that milling in the Gold section will begin early the week of September 8.
Step 2 - Grading
When milling has been completed, the sub-grade will be fully exposed. Springline will remove areas where the sub-grade is spongy, wet or deteriorated and place new stone. Springline will then grade the road bed to the appropriate elevation and to restore a crown in the middle (to shed water from the road bed and from the road itself once paved).
During grading, residents will be able to access their driveways to get in or out, although there may be temporary delays to navigate around the grading equipment. There can be no street parking during grading, as the contractor needs access to the full width of the street to achieve the appropriate grades. Residents will be able to park on the street overnight, with vehicles removed by 6:30 the next morning.
Grading may take several days per street, depending upon the amount of sub-grade to be removed and new stone laid, and whether adjustments need to be made to the elevation of the street (by removing some sub-grade or adding more stone).
Once the grade of the roadbed is finalized, it is ready for paving. It will be important to keep speeds down on the final grade, so as to avoid causing damage that will need to be fixed before paving. Springline will place a series of cones along the street to direct traffic over the grade; please keep speeds down in these areas.
Step 3 - Paving
Paving will done in two separate layers or “lifts.” First, the “leveling course,” 2-1/2 inches thick, laid directly on the road bed. This will be installed the day after the grade is finalized (weather permitting). The second layer, or “wearing course” will be final, permanent surface on which we will drive.
On the paving days, the road will be completely closed to ALL traffic and parking. Residents will not be able to get into or out of their driveways until the paving is complete and the asphalt has cooled sufficiently. The asphalt will be very hot when laid, and can burn tires and through shoes. In general, residents will be back in their driveways by the end of the day when the first layer is placed.
There may be a few weeks between the first and second layers of asphalt being placed. During that intervening period, the first layer of asphalt can handle normal traffic without damaging it.
On the day when the second and final layer of asphalt is laid, Cadillac first spray “tack” over the road surface. The tack is a sort of glue that will seal the two layers together. Tack is very black and very sticky; it cannot be removed if it gets vehicles, driveways, curbs. Avoid walking, biking or driving on the tack - it will get on shoes and tires and be spread to other surfaces.
Once the tack is down, the final layer of asphalt will be laid. The final layer will be 1-1/2” deep; it will usually be 1/4” or so higher than the curb and may slightly overlap the concrete. This is normal and will help the water shed from the road surface into the gutter. The road will be completely closed on the paving day for the final layer, and may stay closed longer than for the first layer. This will give the surface more time to cool and cure, and minimize superficial marks that can occur on new asphalt.
Cadillac will use Echelon paving to pave the full width of each street. This involves two pavers laying the asphalt almost side by side, with one slightly behind the other. The asphalt is then rolled to mesh the asphalt together and eliminate any seam in the middle.
Vehicles will need to be off the street and out of driveways by 6:30 am on paving days. There is no way to pave the street unless it is completely clear of parked cars. As such, any vehicle remaining in the street will, unfortunately, have to be towed.
Cadillac will place notices on front doors about 48 hours prior to paving, to alert residents of the need to remove vehicles and plan not to have any access to the street on the paving days. As we get closer to the paving day, we will provide suggested parking alternatives.
Residents will want to avoid scheduling work on their homes on paving days. Baby-sitters, care-givers, housekeepers and the like will have to park elsewhere, unless they can park in the driveway and stay until the road is open. The contractor will not be able to make exceptions to allow street parking or allow street access during paving (other than emergency vehicles).
Milling, grading and paving operations are dependent upon the weather. Fall weather tends to be rainier, and thus the construction schedule more fluid. Residents will need to check the Roads website more frequently for updates on timing, particularly when there has been inclement weather.
Cadillac will place flaggers to notify drivers of roads that are closed or blocked. There may also be barricades in place. Please respect the barricades and obey the flaggers instructions — this will ensure the best possible quality road surface on which will drive for many years.
Tentatively, paving could begin in the Gold section around the week of September 22, depending on weather conditions and what the contractors find once the roadbed is exposed.
As the schedule becomes clearer, the Road Commission will coordinate with Birmingham Public Schools to ensure they are aware of milling and paving operations and can adjust bus stops if necessary.
Contacts during construction
Questions or concerns arising during construction should be addressed to Wayne Dabrowski, Project Engineer for RCOC, with a copy to Mark Meszler, Bloomfield Township representative for the project.
wdabrowski@rcoc.org
mmeszler@roadrehab.solutions