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Local News

Middleville wins statewide award for Main Street Bridge reconstruction

 

The Village of Middleville has earned an Award of Excellence from the Michigan Concrete Association (MCA) for the 2015-16 reconstruction of the Main Street Bridge over the Thornapple River. The award will be presented to village officials tonight at the council meeting.

Nominated projects were judged based on quality, safety, construction process, complexity, innovation, and aesthetics. The bridge won the award in the “Structural Concrete” category,  acording to a MCA news release.

 

“We truly were very honored to win this award,” said Village Manager Duane Weeks.

There were a lot of engineering challenges with the bridge. It was a joint effort; without the team effort we had, we wouldn’t have the product we have. It’s a beautiful bridge.

“I was pleased when we were nominated, and surprised when we won. We’re the only ones that won in that category. That says a lot about the engineers.” The bridge is another piece in ongoing projects to improve the village.

“We’re happy with the direction Middleville is going,” he said.

 

MCA Executive Director Dan DeGraaf said: “Decorative concrete on either end of the bridge blends into the existing sidewalk and decorative intersections in downtown Middleville.  The careful color matching required two different integral colors and a matching stamp pattern to replicate the same decorative look. The end result is a beautiful bridge and roadway that ties seamlessly into the quaint downtown area and will serve the residents of Middleville for many decades to come.” //

 

The designers, contractors and suppliers involved with rebuilding the bridge will also receive recognition; prime contractor Milbocker & Sons, decorative concrete contractor F and M Concrete Construction, supplier Consumers Concrete, and engineer Williams & Works, the release continued.

The team of Milbocker and Williams & Works worked through the lack of design information on the old bridge and the inconvenience of having a dam right next to the bridge, the release said.

The new two-span spread-box beam bridge has a Texas Modified Railing that features three viewing areas built into them for viewing the Thornapple River and the dam, The panel of judges noted that the project showed a great example of teamwork and partnering during construction, and attention to detail with regard to the forming, placement, and finishing of all the concrete used in the project.

 

Each year, MCA recognizes the best concrete projects and presents awards to contractors, engineers, and agencies for their work.  More than 55 road, highway, airport, industrial, commercial, and residential construction projects were submitted to the 2017 MCA concrete awards program, and 23 received recognition. 

 

The Michigan Concrete Association (MCA) was originally established in 1952 as a forum for the state’s ready-mixed concrete industry and as an educational resource for consumers. Today, the Association includes over 200 members involved in the production, specification, and construction of concrete and concrete-related products.

 

MCA’s mission is to increase the use of concrete in Michigan, through customer promotion and support, and to further the interests of Michigan's ready mix and concrete paving industries.  The Association's driving values are to encourage the best product in the appropriate application, a healthy concrete industry, a strong customer focus, member success, good public policy based on fact, to be credible at all times in all things, and to recognize and apply the best in technical expertise.

 

 

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