Mound Road’s history as a national leader in manufacturing during WWII has allowed it to pivot to a corridor leading automotive innovation. Yet it needed a reconstruction to look and feel like the state-of-the-art technology corridor that it is.
Before reconstruction, the 40-year-old road surpassed the average roadway expectancy of 25 years and would have required Macomb County to spend millions annually on maintenance and repairs. The total rebuild was far beyond a resurfacing project.
The Innovate Mound project included the reconstruction of approximately nine miles of Mound Road from 11 Mile Road to M-59, and add a fourth lane in each direction from 17 mile to M-59. It includes new concrete pavement, drainage, curbs and driveways, signal optimization, roadway widening, connecting vehicle and fiber optic communications technology, enhanced non-motorized facilities, and energy-efficient lighting.
HNTB served as lead consultant on the Macomb County project.
The Improvements
- Safety: The project transforms Mound Road into a user-friendly corridor that is safe for motorized vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians.
- Innovation: Innovate Mound strengthens the region and enhance connectivity by incorporating state-of-the-art design and smart technology to create a 21st century multimodal corridor.
- Investment: The project served as an economic powerhouse — supporting more than 200,000 jobs in Macomb County and across the state — that has created modern, efficient, reliable infrastructure that will retain jobs and sustain future economic growth.
- Impact: Aesthetic features include new landscaping and unified placemaking to beautify Mound Road, positively impact surrounding communities and improve the overall user experience.
Projected Outcomes:
- Traffic flow improvements
- Better landscaping
- Unified lighting
- Iconic signs and features
- Improved pedestrian access
- Non-motorized multi-use path
- Improved transit stops
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
- Traffic signals and signs
- Emerging mobility features
Location: Michigan
Client: Macomb County