Construction

Posted on: February 10, 2011

Feature

ACPA Annual Excellence in Concrete Pavements

The annual ACPA awards recognizes quality roads, highways, and more.

By American Concrete Pavement Association

ACPA The Gold award for Urban Arterials & Collectors was given to the 3500 South Bangerter Highway to 2700 West, Phase II project.

The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), Rosemont, Ill., announced the recipients of its 21st annual Excellence in Concrete Pavement awards. Recognizing quality concrete pavements constructed in the U.S. and Canada, the program encourages high-quality workmanship and serves as a forum for sharing information about highly successful projects.

Projects are evaluated and voted on by judges from across the country on quality construction, addressing unique and unusual challenges, innovation, traffic management, and other criteria. The program recognizes contractors, engineers, and project owners. The awards fall into 12 categories and include 22 ACPA contractor members in both gold and silver levels.

Information was provided by the ACPA.

Commercial Service & Military Airports

Gold: Third Parallel Runway Phase II–Paving and Lighting Package, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, N.C.

Contractor: Hi-Way Paving Inc., Hilliard, Ohio

Owner: City of Charlotte (Mecklenburg Co.), N.C.

Engineer: Talbert and Bright Inc., Wilmington, N.C.

This high profile $69.6 million project at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport was finished on time, within budget, and within specification. In 18 months, Hi-Way Paving successfully completed the largest contract in the company’s 41-year history. The project involved placing enough concrete to create a 6x5/8-inch ribbon around the world at the equator. With no major incidents or problems reported, this massive project was three projects in one. The first was the new construction of the 9000x150-foot runway and taxiway system, along with electrical and lighting work. The second major item was the overnight taxiway tie-in work, which connected the new construction to the existing airfield. The work began at 11 p.m. and carried a $72,000/day fine in liquidated damages for failure to open the active runway each morning by 6 a.m. Finally, there was the management and construction of a new electrical vault building, which houses all necessary equipment for the lighting and electronics on the new runway and associated taxiway system.

Silver: Reconstruction of Runway 7R/25L and Associated Taxiways, McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas

Contractor: Acme Concrete Paving Inc., Spokane, Wash.

Owner: Clark County Department of Aviation, Las Vegas

Engineer: Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc., Las Vegas

McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas needed to replace the deteriorating asphalt pavement on Runway 7R-25L, Taxiway ‘A’, five high-speed taxiways, and two standard taxiway connectors—a total of 398,350 square yards of concrete pavement.

If you have been to Las Vegas, chances are you landed on Runway 7R-25L—McCarran’s primary runway for landings. The challenge was to replace the entire runway on the world’s sixth busiest airport, in total traffic movement, in five months, which had to be completed on time or incur $500,000/day fines in liquidated damages. McCarran International Airport, owned by Clark County, had adopted a no slipform paving policy years ago, but knew that in order to complete the project on time, they needed to revise this policy. Clark County Construction Office officials toured other airports that were using slipform construction as their method of choice.

In spite of the challenges of a tight schedule, harsh weather, and other complexities, the project team—consisting of Clark County; Bechtel, San Francisco, Calif.; Las Vegas Paving Inc., Las Vegas; Acme Concrete Paving Inc.; A-Core Concrete Cutting, Murray, Utah; Penhall Company, Anaheim, Calif.; Royal Electric, Sacramento, Calif.; and others—worked well together and completed the project 2 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule.

Concrete Pavement Restoration (CPR)

Gold: Runway 17L/35R and Associated Taxiways Rehabilitation, Denver International Airport, Denver

Contractor: Interstate Highway Construction Inc., Englewood, Colo.

Owner: City and County of Denver, Department of Aviation (DIA)

Engineer: CH2M Hill, Englewood, Colo.

This $12.9 million project at Denver International Airport involved 100,463 square yards of pavement rehabilitation on one runway and adjacent taxiways. With a 150-calendar-day schedule (including a 90-day runway closure), the scheduling for this project was very challenging.

In addition to the traditional processes of panel replacement, there also were many other things that added to the complexity of the project. Just a few examples include more than 450 in-pavement lights with 8 miles of conduit; 1030 square yards of cement-treated base repair; 37,900 drilled and grouted dowel bars; and spall repairs around light cans. The project also involved 3500 feet of drainage pipe, 10 acres of seed and mulch, crushing of removed concrete, and 70,000 square yards of pavement grooving. At the peak period of construction, more than 300 people were working on the runway closure. Seventy-two panels were added after the start of construction, but the work was still completed within the 90-day closure. Thanks to the hard work and extra effort of everyone involved, DIA has a restored facility that will provide many more years of service.

Silver: U.S. Highway 166/169 K-LINK 1R Resurfacing, Coffeyville, Kan.

Contractor: Bryant & Bryant Construction Inc., Halstead, Kan.

Owner: City of Coffeyville, Kan.

Engineer: Allgeier, Martin and Associates Inc., Joplin, Mo.

The K-LINK resurfacing project used a slightly different design methodology to establish smaller and more site-specific pavement repairs. This helped maximize the quantity of pavement repairs within the budget parameters. After the bid opening, it was calculated that the project could be extended another 1100 feet and remain within the original budgetary parameters. Because the original project limits could not be extended under the resurfacing program guidelines, it was necessary to create a second project number, which had to be designed and bid immediately. Because the projects were back-to-back, the design time was accelerated using the previously established methodology so that these two projects could be worked under one traffic management plan.

This innovative approach, and the quality efforts of everyone involved, saved money and brought the project in on time. Thanks to the creativity and commitment of everyone involved, this very important highway is sure to provide many years of service to motorists.

County Roads

Gold: Garfield Avenue, Sioux City, Iowa

Contractor: Cedar Valley Corp., Waterloo, Iowa

Owner: Sioux City, Iowa

Engineer: Sioux City, Iowa

High-quality farm-to-market roads are very important to the agricultural interests in the state of Iowa—and Sioux County’s Garfield Avenue was no exception.

Cedar Valley Corp. paved 5 miles of 8-inch concrete paving. The project involved regrading and paving of an existing gravel county road. After the existing road was reworked to obtain the specified 2% cross slope, 4 inches of a virgin rock base was placed prior to the paving operation. A considerable amount of shoulder-grading also was performed to correct the existing foreslopes to bring them up to the current standards. The 22-foot-wide paving was a variable depth design of 9 inches on the outside edge and 8 inches at centerline. This design method is used in Iowa to counteract the outside point loads applied by farmers’ grain wagons.

The project also specified contraction dowel baskets be placed on 20-foot centers. Two items that make this project stand out above others are the outstanding quality of the finished product, and the exceptional job Cedar Valley Corp. did to maintain access to local property and business owners.

The contractor also paved 10 lane miles with an average smoothness of 1.44 inches/mile using a 2/10-inch blanking band. In spite of the challenges, this project was finished in only 53 working days.

Silver: STP-137C(066)CI, Okarche Bypass, Kingfisher, Okla.

Contractor: Duit Construction Co. Inc., Edmond, Okla.

Owner: Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), Edmond, Okla.

Engineer: Russell Engineering Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Okarche Bypass located in Okarche, Okla., is locally famous for fried chicken. It also is known for the first County Commissioner to pave a county road with concrete. The imprints on the existing box structures show that this road was originally built in 1942.

This reconstruction project was bid as an alternate bid to asphalt. With twelve potential and nine actual bids submitted, four were for concrete pavements and five were for asphalt pavement. Concrete came in as the lowest on initial cost.

As work began, two major challenges became clear, including the unusual roadway design and a requirement to make a new crowned roadway (where previously there were virtually no crowns).

The engineer had anticipated that the contractor would need at least a month to close the road and detour traffic around the construction zone, but this ended up not being the case because Duit Construction Co. completed the entire 5 miles of paving in less than a week. This required sawcutting within a very tight window, and because of that, Duit maintained a force of at least eight saws to keep up with paving operations.

Neither of the challenges of this project were a match for the hard work, ingenuity, and dedication of the team.

Divided Highways—Rural

Gold: Interstate-80 Rainbow Concrete Overlay Project, Nev./Placer County, Calif.

Contractor: Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, Calif.

Owner: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Sacramento, Calif.

Engineer: Caltrans

In spite of a short paving season and harsh, unpredictable weather, the contractor finished this desert paving project with no lost-time accidents. Traffic control and handling also were concerns in this area because of vacation travel to the Sierra Nevada resort areas, as well as the constant number of trucks hauling freight along I-80 to cross the mountain range in both directions. Even so, the contractor finished the project with no significant problems, due to teamwork and collaboration with Caltrans. On the final monthly partnering survey for the project, the resident engineer, responding to a question about overall satisfaction, commented that this was the “best overall job on the I-80 corridor.”

Silver: Nonreinforced PCC Pavement Paving, Aurora, Davison County, Plankinton, S.D.

Contractor: Upper Plains Contracting Inc., Aberdeen, S.D.

Owner: South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT), Mitchell, S.D.

Engineer: SDDOT

This project was the largest stimulus funded project in South Dakota, and one of the largest stimulus funded concrete paving projects in the country, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s 2009 ARRA National Review Team Final Report.

Upper Plains Contracting Inc. divided the project into three segments, and due to some innovative approaches to staging the project, the contractor placed 22.1 miles of new concrete pavement, plus ramps at all exits and a rest area, in seven months, shortening the total construction time from the planned two construction seasons to one.

Divided Highways—Urban

Gold: The New Interstate-64, St. Louis

Contractor: Gateway Constructors

Owner: Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Engineer: Parsons Corp., Chesterfield, Mo.

The project involved complete reconstruction of approximately 10 miles of I-64 in the St. Louis metropolitan area. It also included 13 interchanges and eight overpasses or other bridges. This $535 million project was the largest construction contract ever awarded by the MoDOT and its first ever design-build project.

Over the three years of the project’s major construction activities, the joint venture team known as Gateway Constructors (Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, Calif.; Fred Weber Inc., Maryland Heights, Mo.; and Millstone Bangert Inc., St. Charles, Mo.) placed more than 321,000 cubic yards of concrete and recycled/reused 500,000 tons of crushed concrete and asphalt. In spite of the scope and scale of the project, the team completed the work three weeks early and under budget.

Silver: Palmetto Parkway I-520/I-20, Aiken, S.C.

Contractor: McCarthy Improvement Co., Laurens, S.C.

Owner: South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), Columbia, S.C.

Engineer: Florence and Hutcheson, Columbia, S.C.

The project was the first design-build project in South Carolina that specified concrete instead of asphalt. The schedule was one of the biggest challenges, as the only slot for the construction that allowed for on time completion was the winter of 2008, and even then, only 30 days were allowed for the placement of 20 lane miles of mainline paving. The final concrete placement on this project was on April 23, 2009, more than three months ahead of schedule.

Industrial & Special Paving

Gold: Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Tactical Training Center, Texas

Contractor: Chasco Constructors, Round Rock, Texas

Owner: Texas Facilities Commission, Austin, Texas

Engineer: URS Corp., San Francisco

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Tactical Training Center in Williamson County is a massive, 150-acre facility designed to train Texas State Troopers, Texas Rangers, and other emergency responders how to handle vehicles in extreme road situations.

About 253,000 square yards of concrete pavement were constructed for what is one of the most elaborate and unique emergency test tracks in the U.S. DPS chose concrete because very little maintenance would be required over the 20-year design life.

Three types of concrete pavement were used: jointed reinforced pavement, continuously reinforced pavement, and post-tensioned concrete panels. Fast construction, innovative and cost-saving contracting, multiple unique design elements, and use of several concrete and other pavement types provide law enforcement officials a facility that will provide years of reliable service to the state.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (<30,000 square yards)

Gold: Southwest Arterial Connection/Plum Creek Parkway, Castle Rock, Colo.

Contractor: Concrete Works of Colorado, Lafayette, Colo.

Owner: Town of Castle Rock, Colo.

Engineer: Felsburg Holt & Ullevig, Centenial. Colo.

This project was the result of extraordinary coordination among several agencies and contractors. No concrete pavements had been constructed in this town since 2001. The project was bid as an asphalt pavement with concrete pavement as an alternate. An asphalt escalator was included in the bid, but when concrete was bid, attempts were made to remove the escalator.

Ultimately, the concrete pavement alternate was the successful low bid on the project. Concurrent construction projects in the area required close coordination with many other organizations. That close communication and cooperation among contractors, agencies, and other stakeholders allowed the various projects to be completed smoothly. Concrete Works of Colorado placed approximately 20,250 square yards of concrete in approximately five months, coming in under budget, on time, and with 100% of the smoothness and quality incentives earned.

Silver: Woodbridge Neighborhood Pervious Concrete Construction, Shoreview, Minn.

Contractor: North Country Concrete, Ramsey, Minn.

Owner: City of Shoreview, Minn.

Engineer: Cemstone Products Co., Mendota Heights, Minn.

This project marked the first opportunity for North Country Concrete to place pervious concrete in a city street project, although they were experienced with placing pervious concrete in other applications. The contractor used a ride-on roller screed, which spanned the entire 21-foot-wide street.

The equipment moved along two rollers set on recently-placed curb and gutter. A third roller was adjusted up or down to compact the concrete. With a 12-person crew, the contractor placed approximately 200 cubic yards of pervious concrete/day. One of the biggest issues was proper curing, so the contractor fabricated a moving platform with a water dip-tank that followed a screed to expedite prewetting of the blankets. Thanks to the contractor’s ingenuity and commitment to quality, the city now has a safe, efficient, and sustainable concrete pavement.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (>30,000 square yards)

Gold: Central Avenue, City of Marshfield, Wis.

Contractor: Trierweiler Construction & Supply Co. Inc., Marshfield, Wis.

Owner: City of Marshfield, Wis.

Engineer: MSA Professional Services Inc., Baraboo, Wis.

This $9 million, 4-lane urban reconstruction project, completed in four stages, was located in the heart of downtown Marshfield. The City of Marshfield, the “Main Street Marshfield” group (which represents local business people, professionals, and city officials), and residents all played a key role in defining and recommending improvements that would enhance the viability of the downtown commercial area by providing a Downtown Redevelopment Plan.

The plan included a streetscape concept with both functional and aesthetic improvements. Completing the multistage project in one construction season required higher than normal production rates and extra work efforts, including weekends. The downtown section was scheduled to be closed to traffic until July 24, 2009, but Trierweiler Construction opened the section on July 17, 2009, and completed the entire project by the completion date. At the heart of this exceptional project was the commitment of everyone involved, and because of it, the city of Marshfield now has a revitalized downtown area that the community can be proud to call their own.

Silver: North Oak Trafficway Improvements (96th St. to 111th St.), Kansas City, Mo.

Contractor: Loch Sand and Construction Co., St. Joseph, Mo.

Owner: Capital Improvements Management Office, City of Kansas City, Mo.

Engineer: Capital Improvements Management Office, City of Kansas City, Mo.

Loch Sand and Construction was contracted to widen and reconstruct a 15-block radius from 96th Street to 101st Street. By the time the Kansas City Capital Improvements Management Office, issued the notice to proceed, the scope changed. This large-scale project included installation of a new waterline, demolition of the existing roadway, construction of an underground storm sewer, and a number of other related work items.

The contractor also made sure the 16 major businesses and the 76 intersections were accessible at all times. Loch took extra measures to ensure that all property owners were up to date on the changes and progress. Loch also had to submit numerous traffic management permits, because many of the ones in the original proposal were not applicable due to the change in scope. In spite of the complexities of the project, the contractor finished the project on time and motorists now have a long-lasting, well-constructed pavement on this major thoroughfare.

Overlays—Airports

Gold: Jasper County Airport Runway 18-36 Rehabilitation, Rensselaer, Ind.

Contractor: E&B Paving Inc., Anderson, Ind.

Owner: Jasper County Board of Aviation Commissioners, Monticello, Ga.

Engineer: NGC Corp., Indianapolis, Ind.

Jasper County’s 4001x60-foot runway was due for preservation when year-end Federal Aviation Administration discretionary funds became available, so the airport’s consultant acted quickly to analyze options, prepare plans, and put the project out for bid.

Alternate bids were sought, including a base bid calling for hot mix asphalt on a full-depth repair base and an alternate calling for a 6-inch concrete overlay on the existing asphalt surface after profile milling. The concrete overlay bid was less than 7% higher than the asphalt bid, so concrete overlay was selected. Paving operations took less than two weeks to complete as pavement was placed in three 20-foot-wide lanes. Because of this project, now INDOT is considering concrete overlays across the state’s highway network.

Overlays—Highways

Gold: Interstate 44, Phelps County Unbonded Concrete Overlay, Rolla, Mo.

Contractor: Iron Mountain Construction Services, St. Louis

Owner: Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), Rolla Construction Office

Engineer: MoDOT, District 9

This $11.1 million project was let in April of 2009 with a notice to proceed on July 6th, and a completion date of Dec. 1, 2009. This heavily traveled roadway has 30,000 average daily traffic and 30% truck traffic in the westbound lanes.

Traffic delays were a major concern for the MoDOT, which required completion within 90 calendar days. An additional requirement was that all lanes were to be open to traffic for the Labor Day Holiday weekend.

The project included seven miles of an 8-inch unbonded overlay and two miles of 10-inch pavement on 4 inches of permeable subbase on 4 inches of granular subbase. Iron Mountain Construction Services, a subsidiary of Fred Weber Inc., presented a $1.6 million value engineering proposal to MoDOT to change the traffic control plan, to revise the pavement design, and to reduce the contract duration. As proposed, the work would be completed in 75 days, but construction was completed in only 66 calendar days.

Silver: U.S. 69 Overlay, Bryan County, Okla.

Contractor: Interstate Highway Construction Inc., Centennial, Colo.

Owner: Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) Madill Residency

Engineer: ODOT Division 2

This $2 million project involved a 5-inch fiber-reinforced concrete overlay on three and a half miles of southbound U.S. 69 in Bryant County, Okla. U.S. 69 is a heavily traveled highway connecting Dallas to Interstate-40 in central Oklahoma. To minimize traffic disruption and avoid the high cost of moving all of the southbound traffic off the existing southbound lanes, the project was completed in two phases without the use of temporary median crossovers or temporary concrete barrier walls.

First, traffic was reduced to a single lane in the outside southbound lane, permitting work to begin on the inside 12-foot lane and inside 4-foot shoulder. After completion of the inside lane and shoulder, the traffic was switched to the newly constructed inside lane so the outside 14-foot lane could be completed. Both phases were constructed by first removing the existing asphalt overlay from the concrete; both bonded and unbonded overlays were used. The project was completed with zero lost time accidents and more than 27 days early.

Overlays-Streets & Roads

Gold: County Road A-34, Joice (Worth County), Iowa

Contractor: Cedar Valley Corp., Waterloo, Iowa

Owner: Worth County Engineer

Engineer: Worth County Engineer

This area is known for its windmills, and is said to have almost as many windmills as people. Unfortunately, the continual construction of windmills has done serious structural damage to the county’s roads. This 23.25 mile unbonded concrete overlay marked the first concrete paving project awarded by Worth County since 1972. The project was let with an asphalt alternate, but the county determined that if bids for 4-inch concrete pavement were within 10% of those for 3-inch hot mix asphalt pavement, concrete would be used.

The lowest concrete pavement bid was only about 9% higher than the lowest asphalt pavement bid so concrete was used. The 307,012 square yard project was designed as a nominal 4-inch overlay. With a mere 10-page set of plans, the $4 million job was seemingly straightforward and simple; in the end, only $6800 of change orders were issued.

Two main issues added to the project’s complexity. First almost 840,000 lineal feet of sawcutting were required. Also, the road was so old that six super elevated curves needed to be redesigned to meet current standards. Paving began on June 10, 2009 and was completed in only 28 working days.

Reliever & General Aviation Airports

Gold: Scott City Municipal Airport, Scott County, Kan.

Contractor: Koss Construction Co., Topeka, Kan.

Owner: Scott City Municipal Airport, Scott County, Kan.

Engineer: Evans-Bierly-Hutchinson & Associates, P.A., Great Bend, Kan.

This project involved replacement of 50,500 square yards of 6-inch concrete runway, four taxiways, and a new entrance. Partnering principles were employed early in the project and a relationship based on trust and mutual respect was quickly established among Scott City; Evans-Bierly-Hutchison & Associates, P.A.; Koss Construction; and Koss’ subcontractors.

The project included salvaging the existing asphalt runway, grading, subgrade stabilization using the reclaimed pavement, and edge drain work. The 5002-foot runway was to be paved in four 18 3/4-foot-wide passes, but Koss submitted a revised paving and jointing plan that proposed two 37 1/2-foot-wide passes. Cost savings associated with the revisions yielded funds to construct a 1350-square-yard parking area that was not awarded in the original contract. In spite of stringent quality requirements coupled with unpredictable weather conditions, the project was completed ahead of schedule. The project schedule called for completion in a total of 150 calendar days. The runway itself was to be completed in 60 calendar days, and the project was completed a total of 77 days ahead of contract requirements.

Silver: AIP-3-40-0007-008-2009 Bartlesville Municipal Airport, Bartlesville, Okla.

Contractor: TTK Construction Co. Inc., Edmond, Okla.

Owner: City of Bartlesville, Okla.

Engineer: LBR Inc., Bethany, Okla.

The City of Bartlesville is the home of the Phillips Petroleum Co. The city and its airport grew as Phillips grew, and ultimately, the airport’s Runway 17-35 needed to be rehabilitated. The 5000x100-foot runway was constructed with asphalt, and then extended to 6200 feet with concrete in 2002, at which time, the original 5000-foot runway was overlaid with asphalt.

The project included a 5-inch unbonded concrete overlay, as well a lighting system upgrade. It involved 3545 square yards of full-depth patch repairs on the north 1500 feet and 3600 square yards of full depth replacement south of the patching area. TTK proposed full depth, 13-inch monolithic concrete be placed over the stabilized subbase as an alternative to 12 inches of lime, 12 inches of fly ash, and an 8 inches lean concrete subbase.

This strengthened the section and eliminated seven days from the schedule. TTK also proposed placing a ¼-inch layer of sand to fill cracks in the asphalt, and then a separator fabric on top of the sand to serve as the bond breaker as an alternative to the originally specified crack-sealing and a 1-inch bond breaker below the overlay. This change alone saved the City of Bartlesville $47,000. The runway was reopened for service 14 days ahead of the scheduled completion.

State Roads

Gold: NHY-033N(012) Wildhorse Mountain, Sequoyah County, Okla.

Contractor: Duit Construction Co. Inc., Edmond, Okla.

Owner: Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), Edmond, Okla.

Engineer: U.S. Infrastructure of Oklahoma Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla.

This project consisted of widening the highway from one lane in each direction to two, as well as realignment of some horizontal and vertical curves. To keep traffic open in each direction, construction of the temporary detours was critical. Duit Construction constructed detours in just two days. Construction of this section was extremely difficult because of the extremely steep 7% grade through the mountain. The completed section consisted of 8 1/2 inches doweled, jointed concrete on 3 inches of asphalt on 12 inches of aggregate subbase isolated from the subgrade by a 6-ounce separator fabric. This project marked the first time the ODOT used just 8 1/2 inches of concrete on a primary highway. Because of the relatively-thinner pavement, joint spacing was reduced from 15 to 13 feet between the transverse joints. Construction of the 2 9/10 mile project was done in two phases, moving daily traffic counts of 7120 vehicles (21% trucks) into a two-lane head-to-head configuration while the adjacent side was replaced. The project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule, and resulted in a wider, safer, and smoother highway in this scenic area of Oklahoma. Smoothness on this project earned Duit Construction a 105% bonus ($119,484) of an available 106%.

Silver: U.S. Highway No. 34 Business, Weld County, Colo.

Contractor: Castle Rock Construction Co., Centennial, Colo.

Owner: Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Denver

Engineer: CDOT, Denver

U.S. Highway No. 34 Business provides access from U.S. Highway No. 34 to the business district of Greeley, Colo. It is also the access for State Farm Insurance’s national headquarters. The existing roadway was an aging two-lane asphalt roadway not designed for the current traffic volume. A total of 203,084 square yards of doweled and grooved 9-inch concrete pavement was used, of which 10,000 square yards were high early-strength concrete.

The surrounding area has several large businesses, four large residential subdivisions, and agricultural areas. The average daily traffic is 30,426 with about 4% trucks. The project was heavily phased because the alignment crossed the original road to accomplish the lessening of a curve. The project’s new alignment went through well-irrigated farm fields and areas where high ground water caused problems with the placement of embankment because of unstable subgrade. The problem was solved by subexcavating and using geotextile membrane and embankment to stabilize these areas. Approximately 30% of the project had to go through this process. Five detention ponds were built as part of this project to ensure no run off would affect surrounding waterways in the future. The construction team overcame these problems to finish the project on time and within budget.

Urban Arterials and Collectors

Gold: 3500 South: Bangerter Highway to 2700 West, Phase II, Salt Lake Valley, Utah

Contractor: Geneva Rock Products, Orem, Utah

Owner: Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Salt Lake City

Engineer: Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, Calif.

This major, east-west, urban arterial links two major thoroughfares—Bangerter Highway and I-215—and handles about 45,000 vehicles/day, more than the original road was designed for. Originally designed as an asphalt corridor, the project changed to a concrete corridor because of the volatility of oil prices. This project involved reconstructing one mile of the existing five-lane asphalt roadway into a six-lane concrete facility. The project also added two dedicated center lanes for the Utah Transit Authority’s first rapid bus system. A moveable concrete barrier system helped manage traffic flow thru the construction zone, and although movable barriers had been used before on freeway applications in the state, this was the first time it was used in an urban area. The overall project was completed eight months ahead of schedule and was open in time for the holiday shopping season. The goal was to construct this project in an effective and efficient manner while reducing the overall impact to the traveling public during construction. A Community Coordination Team was established to assess local business owners and local resident’s satisfaction with the contractor. The overall satisfaction increased as the project progressed and a 90% approval rating was achieved on the final vote.

Silver: St. Joseph Center Road Reconstruction (R-28315), Ind.

Contractor: Primco Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.

Owner: City of Fort Wayne, Ind.

Engineer: Bonar Group, Fort Wayne, Ind.

This challenging project involved significant utility relocation and was designed to address drainage issues. The existing roadway and surrounding neighborhoods suffered from substandard drainage, was an over-traveled two-lane road carrying more than 32,000 vehicles/day, and had no sidewalks to accommodate the well established neighborhoods along the route.

The primary challenge came when a multi-duct telephone conduit was discovered after construction began. This caused Primco to completely rephase the project, so a revised completion date was set for Oct. 31, 2009. In spite of the challenges with the utility relocation, Primco and their subcontractors were able to substantially complete the job by Sep. 3, 2009. Primco worked closely with City of Fort Wayne traffic engineering staff to manage traffic during construction, and this included doing much of the mainline paving at night and coordinating operations closely with subdivisions affected by the project. The result is a smooth-riding, high-quality, safe, aesthetically pleasing arterial serving the neighborhoods of northeastern Fort Wayne.

Commercial Service & Military Airports

Gold: Third Parallel Runway Phase II–Paving and Lighting Package, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, N.C.

Silver: Reconstruction of Runway 7R/25L and Associated Taxiways, McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas

Concrete Pavement Restoration

Gold: Runway 17L/35R and Associated Taxiways Rehabilitation, Denver International Airport, Denver

Silver: U.S. Highway 166/169 K-LINK 1R Resurfacing, Coffeyville, Kan.

County Roads

Gold: Garfield Avenue, Sioux City, Iowa

Silver: STP-137C(066)CI, Okarche Bypass, Kingfisher, Okla.

Divided Highways–Rural

Gold: Interstate-80 Rainbow Concrete Overlay Project, Nev./Placer County, Calif.

Silver: Nonreinforced PCC Pavement Paving, Aurora, Davison County, Plankinton, S.D.

Divided Highways—Urban

Gold: The New Interstate-64, St. Louis

Silver: Palmetto Parkway I-520/I-20, Aiken, S.C.

Industrial & Special Paving

Gold: Texas Department of Public Safety Tactical Training Center, Texas

Municipal Streets & Intersections (< 30,000 sq. yds.)

Gold: Southwest Arterial Connection/Plum Creek Parkway, Castle Rock, Colo. Silver: Woodbridge Neighborhood Pervious Concrete Construction, Shoreview, Minn.