Building in the Fast Lane

...County to limit the impacts of the new piers holding the bridge extensions.

The overpass at 44th Street is just one of many bridges that had to be extended to accommodate the additional lanes. Challenges included managing heavy traffic loads, scheduling to minimize impact to local businesses (such as hotels) and even gently coercing cliff swallows from their nests underneath bridges.

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“The challenge was to complete the design of the bridge piers and prepare required scour analysis reports in order to gain permits from these waterway-management agencies,” Riley says.

Even cliff swallows, which build nests beneath the bridges, were attended to under the stipulations of the Migratory Bird Act, Mills says. “You might imagine the access challenges in removing nests and trying to keep the birds from re-nesting while the project has progressed,” Riley adds.

With an expected early completion, the Kiewit/Sundt team will enjoy a significant part of $750,000 in incentives offered by the state. In addition, the team is also receiving quality-workmanship incentives. These are being passed on to the construction-team workers in the form of monthly gifts, Mills and McCarthy say.

“When you consider that the project is expected to be delivered within 600 days and below bid price—uncommon for highway construction—you can see that this has been a successful partnership for everyone,” McCarthy adds.

Key Players:

Owner: ADOT
General Contractor: Kiewit/Sundt, Joint Venture
Design Firm: URS Corp.
Consultants: TY Lin Intl.; HDR Engineering
Subcontractors: Contractors West; CMC Rebar; Case Foundation; Carlson Masonry; A-Core; Brundage Bone Concrete Pumping