Sec. 1i.
(1) Notwithstanding section 1h, the department may conduct not more than 4 pavement demonstration projects each year to evaluate new construction methods, materials, or design. The department may offer or conduct a pavement demonstration project that may be all or a portion of that project using either concrete or asphalt as determined by the department. Each demonstration project shall include measurable goals and objectives for determining the success of that project. The department shall make a final report for each demonstration project following the demonstration life of the project, which may be shorter than the actual pavement life of the material used for the project, that assesses the cost-effectiveness and performance of the pavement materials and design used in the project and compares the results to the pavement material identified under the department's standard pavement selection process.
(2) Demonstration projects shall be selected using any of the following criteria:
(a) Pavement designs intended to increase pavement life expectancy.
(b) Pavement designs intended to improve performance, including, but not limited to, friction, surface stress, reduction of noise, and improvement of ride quality.
(c) Comparisons of performance of various types of pavement.
(3) The total cost of contracts awarded for demonstration projects under this section using asphalt and concrete shall not exceed a difference of more than 20% between the respective paving materials in any 2-year period. As used in this subsection, “total costs” means the initial engineer's estimated costs of the pavement design portion of the project.
(4) The director shall provide an annual report, not later than February 1 of each year, to the senate and house of representatives transportation standing committees and the senate and house of representatives appropriations subcommittees on transportation regarding the status of each demonstration project.
History: Add. 2001, Act 259, Imd. Eff. Jan. 9, 2002
Popular Name: McNitt Act
Popular Name: Michigan Transportation Fund Act
Last modified: October 10, 2016