DICKINSON COUNTY ROAD Commission had a ribbon-cutting this fall for the resurfacing of County Road 577 in Norway Township. From left are Zhanping You, a transportation engineering professor at Michigan Technological University; Dickinson County Road Commission Managing Director James Harris; and DCRC engineer Lance Malburg. Among other techniques, MTU will help test the use of recycled tire rubber in asphalt mixes. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County Road Commission completed a number of major projects in 2023, including the use of potential cost-saving methods for repaving work on County Road 577.

DCRC partnered with Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy for the C.R. 577 projects, one covering 1.8 miles from the Menominee County line to the north and another of 1.5 miles from Hanbury Lake Lane in Norway Township to the south. Bacco Construction Co. of Iron Mountain was the contractor.

The commission, in a recent report, explained the methods being demonstrated.

The first project involved the use of recycled tire rubber in hot mix asphalt as well as engineered crumb rubber as a stabilizer. Two test sections were done, one made of regular hot mix asphalt and one modified with engineered crumb rubber pellets.

The project will compare the performance of ECR asphalt to that of traditional HMA in a cold climate.

The second C.R. 577 project used recycled tire rubber and recycled glass as an aggregate. Engineered crumb rubber was mixed in the asphalt using a “dry” process, which is less costly than the traditional “wet” process.

One test section is regular hot mix asphalt and another has ECR-modified asphalt that contains recycled glass from the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority. One of the main points to be investigated is the cold weather cracking resistance of the modified pavement.

On C.R. 581 and C.R. 426 in Ralph, the commission delivered a cold-in-place recycled asphalt project, saving the mining of 1,170 tons of aggregate. Bacco Construction was the contractor for 0.65 miles of paving in the area of the Ford River bridge.

Other projects included:

— Cheese Factory Road at the bridge over the Sturgeon River to C.R. 569. Funded with help from Dickinson County Board, this project widened the road to accommodate trucking so it can be used as the alternate to C.R. 569, as the bridge at C.R. 569 at M-69 is load-posted. Payne & Dolan Inc. of Gladstone was the contractor.

— Turner Road. In partnership with Sagola Township, the paving covered 0.85 miles in Channing from M-95 east of Chelar Lane. Bacco Construction was the contractor.

— Sagola streets. Northwest of the M-69 and M-95 intersection, 0.78 miles of streets were improved by Payne & Dolan in partnership with Sagola Township.

— Six Mile Lake Road. From M-69 to the boat launch, a project of 2.36 miles included some paving and underdrain work as well as culvert replacements, in partnership with Felch Township. Bacco was the contractor.

— Harry Peterson Drive. This project of 0.29 miles north of M-69 was conducted in partnership with Breen Township. Bacco was the contractor and the work included paving, curbs and spillways.

— Swede Settlement Road. In partnership with Waucedah Township, the curve was improved at Burgon’s Backwater and there was 0.34 miles of paving by Bacco.

— Turner’s Grade Road and Grand Oakes Lane. In partnership with Breitung Township, 0.65 miles of pavement was improved from Pine Mountain Road to the end of the cul-de-sacs. A sharp curve on Turner’s Grade Road was realigned. Bacco was the contractor.

— Old Carney Lake Road and Haystack View Lane. The project covered 1.56 miles of road improvements east of Twin Falls Road, in partnership with Breitung Township. The intersection on Haystack View Lane was also realigned and improved by Bacco.

— Ball Road. Norway Township partnered for 1.49 miles of road improvements by Bacco. The vertical profile was corrected in three locations and failing culverts were replaced.