The truth about cats and dogs? Either the cat is swiping at the dog with razor sharp claws. Or the dog is getting even by trying to eat the cat or at least its food. They usually don’t like each other or get along. The truth about concrete and asphalt – they usually don’t work well together. Enter the US-31 Highway reconstruction at Chum’s Corners, which decided to use both methods to solve the increasing amount of traffic funneled through that intersection. Using both concrete and asphalt construction methods was a unique solution to the ever increasing problem of large truck traffic, high volume, and stop and go traffic patterns.

With the finesse of a lion tamer with doggie treats in their pocket, Team Elmer’s was able to meet the stringent standards of the Michigan Department of Transportation. By supplying both state certified and tested ready-mix concrete to the site, as well as hot mix asphalt, Team Elmer’s accomplished what few companies in all of the nation can. Both concrete and asphalt in harmonious conjunction! Team Elmer’s supplied concrete curbing and tough concrete pavement mix in certain sections of the project only to return other days to pave asphalt, widening the road and turn lanes to connect to the new concrete intersection.

Stringent standards by the state required exacting work ethics by the crews. There was no room for error. M.D.O.T. supplied their own inspector at the Team Elmer’s dispatch office to confirm the high standards we require. A total team effort, from truckers and pit personnel supplying the state-certified aggregates at both the asphalt and concrete plants, to the testing lab confirming we exceeded expectations, from the loader operators who kept materials uncontaminated and bins properly loaded, to plant operators who created each mix designs with care and detail, from the truck drivers who delivered each load of concrete and asphalt, to the asphalt crew that placed the final lane.

More than 4,000 yards of concrete material and 24,000 ton of asphalt material were used to create this harmonious intersection that now purrs like a kitten with even the heaviest trucks traveling across it. Congratulations Team Elmer’s on one more job done well!