Wixom Road Bridge Replacement

Bridge Reconstruction Protects Native Species, Adds Increased Safety and Recreation

With funding secured through the Local Bridge Program, the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) partnered with OHM Advisors to perform a study of the Wixom Road bridge spanning the Huron River in the Proud Lake State Recreation Park, which had experienced serious deterioration to its corrugated metal pipe culverts. Our team first completed a survey of the area’s threatened species of mussels, which led to the relocation of nearly 400 of the species prior to the new bridge construction. Special provisions were also made to protect the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake found in the same area. Our team then created the design plans for the replacement structure, which included maintenance of traffic for both vehicular traffic and river boating traffic, and also performed all related project management services.

Our team’s plan included the replacement of existing culverts with a 60-foot bulb tee bridge founded on concrete abutments supported on H-piles. The roadway cross-section was widened slightly to increase shoulder width providing more safety for drivers, and the clearance over the Huron River was increased. The new structure is a 55-foot span bridge accommodating park-going canoe and kayak traffic traveling underneath the bridge.

Project Highlights: bridge and culvert design, bridge and culvert inspection, roadway approach design, maintenance of traffic, signal design, threatened species survey and relocation