Innovate Mound

Initially constructed in the 1940s, Mound Road is a critical, nine-mile connection between heavily traveled I-696 and M-59, which connects to I-94 and I-75, two of the country’s longest interstates. On average, 70,000 vehicles travel on the road daily.

HNTB served as the program manager for the Innovate Mound project, overseeing all aspects of the reconstruction project’s planning, design, cost management, scheduling and construction oversight. The project involved reconstructing nine miles of Mound Road, adding a fourth lane in each direction, new concrete pavement, updated drainage systems, curbs, driveways and optimized traffic signals.

This was Macomb County’s first design-build project, combining design and construction teams to work together, marking a significant milestone in the county’s infrastructure development. To ensure its success, HNTB conducted training sessions to prepare county staff with the skills to review and respond to design-build submittals. The use of advanced collaboration software enabled real-time feedback and coordination, greatly streamlining the review process and enhancing overall project efficiency.

Some notable features of the Mound project are the advanced intelligent transportation systems, featuring nine miles of fiber optic cable, traffic cameras, Wi-Fi sensors, road weather information systems and a communication network that includes connected vehicle roadside units upgraded to support 5G and cellular vehicle-to-everything technologies. By layering new capabilities on top of the existing infrastructure, Mound Road is adaptable to evolving transportation technologies and serves as a test bed for new mobility services.

The project transformed Mound Road into a user-friendly corridor safe for motorized vehicles, bikes and pedestrians, reducing congestion in one of Michigan’s densest manufacturing areas.

The Improvements

• Safety: The project transforms Mound Road into a user-friendly corridor that is safe for motorized vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians.
• Innovation: Innovate Mound strengthens the region and enhance connectivity by incorporating state-of-the-art design and smart technology to create a 21st century multimodal corridor.
• Investment: The project served as an economic powerhouse — supporting more than 200,000 jobs in Macomb County and across the state — that has created modern, efficient, reliable infrastructure that will retain jobs and sustain future economic growth.
• Impact: Aesthetic features include new landscaping and unified placemaking to beautify Mound Road, positively impact surrounding communities and improve the overall user experience.

Projected Outcomes:

• Traffic flow improvements
• Better landscaping
• Unified lighting
• Iconic signs and features
• Improved pedestrian access
• Non-motorized multi-use path
• Improved transit stops
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• Traffic signals and signs
• Emerging mobility features