Ideal Installs Trestles at FCA’s New Mack Assembly Plant

FCA is building Detroit’s first new assembly in nearly 30 years on the site of the former Mack Avenue Engine Complex. With an investment of $1.6 billion, the Mack transformation project will allow the OEM to manufacture a new three-row, full-size Jeep SUV and next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, along with their electrified models. The company is constructing a new 790,500-square-foot paint shop and renovating two engine plants into a body shop and general assembly.

To connect the three separate buildings, Ideal Contracting erected two trestles to house the conveyors that will carry the SUVs from the body shop to the paint shop, then on to general assembly. Consisting of 2,500 total pieces of steel, the trestles combined weigh 1,400 tons and span 450 linear feet.

As part of this project, the team is also completing renovations to multiple interior spaces throughout the complex. These areas include the Test Track, Drum Storage, Dyno Room, Penthouse, and the Guardhouse and Linker building. The scope of work includes new paint; installation of electrical, mechanical, and fire protection; and demolition and installation of new door frames and wall panels.

With over 20 subcontractors on-site, coordination has been key to keeping the project on schedule. The project has already logged more than 20,000 total man-hours with zero safety incidents.