On March 15, 2002, the McAninch Corporation was the successful low bidder on a highway relocation project on U.S. 59 in Holt County, MO. The $4.3-million project calls for constructing a new 2-mi. (3.2 km.) section of roadway with a 24-ft. (7.3 m) wide pavement and stabilized shoulders. When completed the highway will avoid a winding roadway, along with two narrow and decaying bridges.

According to Jody Carlson, area engineer of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), “This project was let because there are two Condition 3 bridges that need to be replaced. Condition 3 is the last stage before the bridge is closed down. There also is some accident history at the Mill Creek Bridge, because it’s on a downhill grade, on a horizontal curve and it’s narrow.”

The proceed date was April 3, 2002. The contract provides for 210 working days to complete the project.

The contract calls for 769,538 cu. yds. (588,354 cu m) of Class A Excavation to be moved. McAninch Corporation has brought in a unique fleet of Caterpillar crawlers and pull scrapers to complete the operation. On site are three D10R’s with 641 scrapers and two D11R’s with 651 scrapers.

McAninch Corporation’s decision to go with a crawler-pull scraper combination is the result of extensive analysis by the McAninch staff. According to Don Taylor, project manager, “The past 12 to 14 years has seen the arrival of the articulated truck. The Caterpillar D400 is lighter and faster than a 631E scraper. As a result, we use our articulated truck and excavator combination where haul distances are lengthy.

“Where haul distances are shorter, we choose the crawler-pull scraper combination,” he said. He added that the improvement of bogey suspension on the D9R, D10R and D11R, along with the SALT track system, allows this combination to equal the speed of a 631 motor scraper.

JLA Construction of Brookline, MO, is installing the two double-box culverts and one single-box culvert. The double boxes measure 12 by 12 by 118 ft. (3.7 by 3.7 by 36 m) and 12 by 12 by 235 ft. (3.7 by 3.7 by 71.6 m). The single box measures 12 by 11 by 131 ft. (3.7 by 3.4 by 39.9 m).

The new roadway will have a 4-in. (10.2 cm) base requiring 44,553 sq. yds. (37,252 sq. m.) of aggregate.

The bituminous pavement will be laid in two lifts. The base will be 4 in. (10.2 cm) and the top lift will be 1.75 in. (4.5 cm). Material totals for both lifts will total 24,225.9 sq. yds. (20,256 sq m). Loch Sand and Construction of Maryville, MO, is the paving subcontractor.

There also is a smaller amount of concrete in the form of 8-in. (20.3 cm) non-reinforced pavement, with 15-ft. (4.6 m) joints. Approximately 28,395 sq. yd. (23,742 cu m) of concrete will be poured for this portion of the pavement.

Once the new roadway is open, the old pavement will be cold milled and the two bridges will be demolished and removed.

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