MAY 2019

Wayne County 10-Year Asset Management Plan

FACING OUR CHALLENGES NOW and AHEAD

W ayne County’s public roads and bridges

comprise the largest and oldest local, public
infrastructure system in the state, impacting one
of the country’s most significant economic regions.
The automobile's birthplace is also the birthplace
of the first modern road system, which was engi-
neered and built by the forerunners of what is
now the County's Department of Public Services.
Our rich transportation history now presents
an important challenge: We must address
our steadily aging, deteriorating infra-
structure system amid rising customer and
stakeholder needs and expectations.
To meet this challenge, Wayne County’s first
10-Year Asset Management Plan, or AMP,
will identify for the next five years the priority
needs among our public roads and bridges.
The AMP's completed first phase is a baseline
infrastructure inventory and condition assess-
ment, and an evaluation of future funding needs.
The second phase, now underway, includes a
capital improvement plan – a five-year, rolling
list of committed projects and an additional
five years of network-level treatments based
on an integrated analysis of system goals,
current condition and available funding.
Current Infrastructure Conditions
About 31% of our National Bridge Inventory
(NBI) structures are in "poor" or worse condi-
tion, according to the U.S. Federal Highway
Administration standards. Bridges graded as
poor have at least one major component such
as a deck or substructure rated a 4 or lower
on a 0-9 scale, with 0 being the lowest.
About 58% of our pavements are in poor condi-
tion, according to the most recent PASER (Pavement
Surface Evaluation and Rating System) rating. County
pavements are evaluated in two-year cycles, with
half the roads reviewed each year. The PASER
data collected in the past two years shows a 40%
increase in poor pavements from the previous rating.
This downward trend can only be arrested
through additional investment – and applying
that investment at the right time, with the right fix.
Our 10-Year AMP aims to help accomplish these
goals; however, much more funding is needed.

Miller Road
Bridge in
Dearborn has
hundreds of
temporary
supports.
Photo: Wayne
County

1
BY THE NUMBERS: WAYNE COUNTY'S ROADS and BRIDGES AMP ROADS
INVENTORY
THE ROADS ... THE BRIDGES ... THE SYSTEM ... 864 miles
federal aid roads
Serves about 1,800,000
33 miles
non-federal aid/
non-subdivision

773 miles
and annually sees about minus subdivision
roads

rated POOR
according to state assessment
31%*federal
rated POOR
standards
1,670 miles
according to total County
*percentage of County's NBI structures
SYSTEM NEEDS: inventory
This represents a
bridges CLOSED $70 MILLION now for two
due to POOR condition critical structure needs AMP BRIDGES
$40 MILLION more per INVENTORY
year to maintain current, 310
in the number of roads LOAD LIMITS POOR conditions
POSTED FOR total structures
rated as POOR $3 BILLION over next 10
since last evaluated BRIDGES years to meet 2029 goals 231
National Bridge
Background image: Miller Road Bridge in Dearborn, by Larry Peplin for Crain's Detroit Business. Inventory

65
Our Goals rail
NATIONAL BRIDGE INVENTORY GRADES
Wayne County has two aspirations for its 11
road and bridge system by the year 2029: POOR = Needs major pedestrian
rehabilitation or replacement
»» Goal No. 1: 90% of all roads and bridges
will be rated in “good” or “fair” condition FAIR = Needs preventative 2
maintenance or minor rehabilitation other
»» Goal No. 2: 100% of all critical
bridge needs will be addressed GOOD = Needs routine maintenance
1
These goals comprise a starting point, and Source: U.S. Federal Highway Administration
shorter than
they will continue to be evaluated. 20 feet long

Current Investment Levels Projections, Funding Gap 18

The County’s capital program currently
spends, on average, about $31.5 million
annually on roadway preservation projects,
and about $10 million on bridge preservation
work. As part of the 10-Year AMP process, the
funding available for capital road and bridge
projects each year will be evaluated based
on projected revenues and ongoing system,
maintenance and operating needs.
Without additional investment, Wayne superstructure types
County’s roadways and bridges will continue
to deteriorate. At the current funding levels, 3
the County would need $40.5 million more moveable bridges
annually just to maintain the current, poor
conditions. To reach its system goals by 12
2029, the County needs $294 million more bridges on
annually through the 10-Year AMP period, or National Register
almost $3 billion total additional investment. of Historic Places

Wayne County 10-Year Asset Management Plan  //  MAY 2019 2