Highway widening project to shift sides mid Dec.

Published 7:00 am Thursday, November 26, 2020

Roadwork to expand Highway 11 is scheduled to move from the east side of the highway to the west side on Dec. 14, which will shift traffic.

The timing of the shift will depend on good weather and no equipment issues, said MDOT Engineer Dexter Childs. When the shift happens, drivers should primarily be on new asphalt, except at a few intersections where traffic may be on existing pavement.

The expansion project runs from Cayten Street to Lakeshore Drive.
Paving began on the east side of Highway 11 last week. The base lift is almost complete, said Childs, and the binder lift will begin next week. The binder lift serves as a kind of glue between the base lift and the surface lift, Childs explained. The surface lift will not be done until near the end of the job, to protect it from damage from road crew equipment.

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Concrete work is almost complete on the east side of the highway. All sidewalks, curbs and gutters have been finished, along with drainage structures. A few more concrete driveways need to be completed.

Childs said he does not think that Highland Parkway will have to be closed again for paving work in the next two weeks, but it might need to be closed at some point to complete the binder lift, depending on the flow of traffic.