Ely contracted with MMS to design improvements to Hillcrest Street and Highland Road. Hillcrest Street was a PCC street with curb and gutter and minimal storm sewer. It was located at the bottom of a hill and collected runoff from a large portion of town. The street often had standing water for days after a rainstorm, and the pavement was failing as well.

The initial idea for improving Hillcrest Street was an HMA overlay, which would smooth out the profile of the street and extend its life. The budget allotted to the project was small. So even though the storm sewer was undersized, it was decided to proceed with the project as a crack and seat of the existing PCC pavement and then install an HMA overlay. During the bid period in June 2010, there was a heavy rainfall, and portions of Hillcrest Street were inundated with runoff. The budget for the project was increased to include replacement of the storm sewer, and the initial bids were rejected.

MMS proceeded with the design for the reconstruction of Hillcrest Street. The project included replacement of the existing street with 7-inch PCC pavement on 6-inch rock base, with longitudinal subdrains on both sides. A new storm sewer was designed to convey the five-year runoff from the new street and adjacent areas. In addition, 4-foot sidewalks were installed on both sides of the street for pedestrian traffic to the park.

Since the project included replacement of the entire street, neighbors in 17 homes were affected. MMS held several meetings with the neighbors to keep them informed about the project and to gain feedback. Maintaining access for these homes was one of the biggest challenges of the project, since each driveway was replaced within the right of way to accommodate the new street paving.

During the Hillcrest Street project, traffic was temporarily re-routed to Highland Road, dramatically accelerating its decline. The improvements included new water main, longitudinal subdrains, grading, HMA paving, partial curb and gutter replacement, sidewalks and ADA-compliant curb ramps.

At least 20 homeowners along Highland Road were affected by the project. A good neighbor meeting was held before project kickoff, and the city handled communication with homeowners during the project. The contractor was responsible for maintaining homeowners’ access to their driveways as much as possible.

The narrow rights-of-way and the grade of the street made intersections and ADA ramps a challenge. During construction, a small area of shallow bedrock was uncovered that affected subbase and subdrain installation.

MMS Consultants provided analysis, project design and construction documents, bidding assistance, and construction inspection, staking and administration.