The Allen Creek Berm Opening

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WATS has the privilege of working with agencies throughout the county and the state to help deliver a variety of transportation improvements.  Often the nature of improvements using WATS administered funding sources focus on rehabilitation of the current infrastructure.  This asset management approach stretches limited resources and helps preserve the investments already made in our transportation network!

Other projects take a more innovative approach to addressing a variety of transportation and community goals.  Happening right now, the Allen Creek Berm Opening is a project that addresses safety, non-motorized, and environmental goals in Ann Arbor near Main St. and Depot St.  

The Berm Opening reduces the floodplain of the Allen Creek, will provide a safe non-motorized crossing at the Wolverine Line rail tracks, and adds a non-motorized connection from northwest downtown Ann Arbor to the county Border to Border Trail.  This is accomplished via an around the clock, day-long construction process that removed a portion of the rail, excavated through the rail-berm to place a non-motorized path and culvert, and then back-fill the berm and replace the rail.  A high level of coordination between the City, construction contractor and the railroad operators was necessary to have all of the pieces in place to accomplish such a rapid and ambitious project.  

A high level of coordination was also necessary to plan and align the various funding sources that came together to make this project a reality.  At $9.4 million, funding sources include:

  • City of Ann Arbor Stormwater and Alternative Transportation funds, 

  • FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation funds,

  • MDOT & SEMCOG Transportation Alternative Program funds,

  • MDNR Trust funds, and

  • WATS STBG-Urban funds.

The path is one segment of Ann Arbor’s Treeline Trail which provides a non-motorized connection from the Argo Pond area to the Michigan Stadium.  WATS is excited for the City to continue implementing its ambitious transportation and environmental goals! 

Construction on the Berm Opening got underway in May and is expected to conclude in September.  More information on the project can be found on the City of Ann Arbor’s project page https://www.a2gov.org/departments/engineering/Pages/Allen-Creek-Railroad-Berm-Project.aspx