A joint venture between Big-D Construction and Kitchell CEM (BDK), the USCF is one of the largest detention projects in the United States.
(Jake Njord photo)
Work has wrapped up on the new Utah State Correction Facility (USCF), the largest construction project ever undertaken by the state of Utah.
The Utah State Prison Relocation project, comprised of 35 buildings and 1.35 million sq. ft. of operational space on approximately 172 acres of land, will house up to 3,600 inmates by the end of the summer.
The total cost of the facility, including infrastructure, is approximately $1.05 billion.
State leaders celebrated on June 22 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the end of a long, 6-year process that was filled with debates about costs and location.
A joint venture between contractors Big-D Construction and Kitchell CEM (BDK), the USCF is one of the largest construction projects in the state's history. The project also is among the largest detention projects in the U.S.
"This facility will provide a safe and secure environment conducive to recovery and rehabilitation for up to 3,600 inmates," said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. "It will also give our Corrections employees the space they need to do their difficult jobs. We applaud the hard work of so many who made this achievement possible."
For the last six years, the joint venture served as the program manager consultant for the Utah State Prison Relocation project.
On June 22, Gov. Cox cut the ribbon for the new USCF along with other stakeholders, marking the project's substantial completion.
"Today is truly a landmark day for the Department of Corrections and the state of Utah as we celebrate the largest construction project in Utah history," Gov Cox said.
The facility is located approximately 5 mi. west of the airport.
Project costs ended up ballooning to well over $1 billion because the land is near the Great Salt Lake and is soft, which required extra foundational support.
Jim Russell, director of the division of facilities construction and management, said they faced a lot of obstacles getting the new prison built, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Crews were in direct competition with the new airport for contractors and workers and had to deal with construction costs "going crazy" over the six-year period.
Construction crews battled corrosive soil, buggy weather, hot summers and cold winters, on top of dealing with the pandemic and the 2020 earthquake.
Approximately one year ago, plans for the old prison site would create a new "15-minute city" in Draper to replace Utah's prison, which would include new homes, trails, open spaces and parks along portions of the Jordan River.
"The old prison site will be one that will bless the finances of this state for many, many years in the future," said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, who co-chaired the Prison Relocation Commission.
Construction Project Manager Michael Ambre is pleased with what the project represents for the community.
"This project is the largest detention project in the nation," said Ambre. "Detention facilities are never a popular project to build, but because of the planning and long-term goals to reduce recidivism, this facility will have a massive impact on this state for generations to come."
According to Ambre, installing prefabricated cells one at a time proved to be an effective approach in building the new prison.
"Anytime you can prefabricate building materials, both quality and schedule improve," he said. "Imagine three or four different subcontractors needed in an 8-ft. x 10-ft. space to finish the space. In a prefabricated scenario, all finishes are done in an assembly line fashion, then shipped fully fitted out to be picked and set."
The molds for the cells were transported to Utah from the eastern states to the Oldcastle/Amcor precast plant in Ogden.
"They are cast in the molds and completely finished inside before they are shipped to the site," Ambre said. "A two-cell unit is loaded, one per truck, at a weight of 66,000-plus pounds. They are escorted up the highway during restricted hours of the day."
At the time, crews used a 350-ton crane for installation, with a short boom to maximize the capacity. The process is comparable to stacking Legos.
"They literally stack the second level on top of the lower level cells," said Ambre. "They are pinned together with a structural connection."
The majority of big concrete pours were large mat footings on which to set the cells. Each was more than 400 cu. yds.
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