MDOT to bid 5 miles of I-94 work in Detroit Dec. 4, including 14th Street bridge repairs

The Michigan Department of Transportation will take bids Dec. 4, 2026 on a project covering 5.08 miles of Interstate 94 in Detroit, according to the Notice of Advertisement MDOT published Oct. 30.

The scope

Call 001, contract ID 82024-223349, is described in the notice as:

• 5.08 miles of hot mix asphalt cold milling and resurfacing, pavement repairs, concrete barrier repairs, concrete patching repairs, drainage repairs and pavement markings on I-94 from 2nd Avenue to Conner Street;
• bridge rehabilitation, including beam replacement, heat straightening and partial deck replacement, on 14th Street over I-94; and
• pedestrian bridge demolition, filler wall and permanent cantilever signing on Brooklyn Street over I-94.

All of it is in the city of Detroit, Wayne County. The project includes a 3-year materials and workmanship pavement warranty. The completion date is Oct. 31, 2027.

Requirements

The required DBE participation is 2.00%, and the required Small Business Program participation is 0.00%. The notice lists the net prequalification classification required for the project as "15141 Cb" and estimates 209 pages of plans. It covers three project numbers, including IM 82024 and ST 82023.

Heat straightening?

Heat straightening is a repair method for bent steel bridge beams, typically after an over-height vehicle strike, in which controlled heat is applied to bring the steel back into shape. The notice pairs it with beam replacement on the 14th Street bridge, which suggests some beams will be repaired and others replaced. The proposal and plans will show the details; this site has not reviewed them.

The rest of the Dec. 4 letting

As of Oct. 30, MDOT had advertised eight calls for Dec. 4:

• 002, Hillsdale County: 1.18 miles of reconstruction on M-49 through the village of Camden, including a bridge superstructure replacement and temporary bridge, bid as an alternate beam project. Completion Sept. 20, 2030.
• 003, Baraga and Ontonagon counties: bridge rehabilitation on US-41 over the Sturgeon River and M-28 over the Ontonagon River, including full paint.
• 004, Clinton County: bridge rehabilitation on Old US-27 over Holden Drain.
• 005, Ingham County: 2.21 miles of concrete roadway reconstruction, water main, drainage and bridge work on US-127 from Red Cedar to south of Lake Lansing Road in Lansing and East Lansing. Completion Sept. 30, 2029.
• 006, Presque Isle County: 1.00 mile of asphalt surfacing on 3 Mile Highway east of M-33 (local agency).
• 007, Wayne County: 0.51 miles of resurfacing, storm sewer, curb, sidewalk and ramps on Manchester Street in Highland Park.
• 008, Otsego County: a roundabout at McCoy Road and Krys Road (local agency).

For subcontractors

A freeway resurfacing and bridge project in Detroit typically needs milling, concrete patching, barrier repair, drainage, structural steel repair, demolition, sign structures, pavement markings and maintenance of traffic. With a 2% DBE goal, primes will be looking for certified DBE firms. This site's Wayne County hub lists MDOT-prequalified contractors based in the county; Wayne has more than any other county.

This site will post the bids after MDOT opens them on Dec. 4.

How to bid MDOT work

Each call in MDOT's Notice of Advertisement states the net prequalification classification a prime contractor needs. Where a project also includes subclassifications, the notice says a prime that is not prequalified in them must use prequalified subcontractors, designated before award. Each call also lists the required DBE participation and the required Small Business Program (SBP) participation, the completion date and any warranties, and says to see the proposal for bidder guaranty information. Proposals and plans are available online through MDOT's eProposal system, and MDOT's lettings are held at 425 W. Ottawa St. in Lansing at 10:30 a.m. local time. Public contracts over $50,000 require payment and performance bonds under MCL 129.201.