The Indiana Department of Transportation is heading up a $44.4M project in Hendricks County, Ind., to rebuild a portion of I-70. The contact was awarded to Milestone Contractors.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is heading up a project in Hendricks County, Ind., to rebuild a portion of I-70.
According to Debbie Calder, INDOT communications director, the letting date was Feb. 5, 2020. Work began on April 1 and the project is expected to be complete by June 30, 2022.
The full contact amount is $44,412,000, awarded Milestone Contractors. Chris Potts serves as the project manager and Chad Ryle is the project superintendent.
According to Calder, the project involves Interstate 70 reconstruction from the Ronald Reagan Expressway to .5 mi. west of SR 267. The contract calls for new concrete pavement with underdrains and storm sewers, asphalt resurfacing of the SR 267 interchange, and new highway lighting, signals and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) components.
The westbound lanes will be rebuilt this year with eastbound lane construction occurring in 2021.
One of the challenges noted by Calder is the large quantity of work required to be completed in two 120-day closures of the SR 267 EB on ramp.
Another challenge involves two lifts totaling 26 in. of soil stabilization.
"We will have to dig the top 12 inches off the subgrade, treat the bottom 14 inches, put the top 12 inches back on the treated subgrade and then treat the top 12 inches," she said. "Resource allocation and sub coordination in this short duration also make it difficult."
Calder reported that these challenges make the project unique.
"There is an experimental High Friction Surface Treatment being installed by Blakley
Corporation on three of the four ramps at SR 267 in coordination with INDOT's Division of Research and Development," she said.
Calder noted that the pavement design includes two layers of cement-treated soil totaling 26 in.; 6 in. of engineered aggregate; 3 in. of open-graded asphalt drainage layer; and 14 in. of new concrete pavement. The total depth of the pavement section is 49 in.
She reported that the project includes more than 3 mi. of new pavement, with three lanes and full-width shoulders throughout.
"Some areas will have six traffic lanes and two shoulders, all 12 feet wide, in both directions," Calder said.
The total project involves 180,000 cu. yds. of earthwork.
Major subcontractors include Hoosier Company for ITS, lighting and signs involving a significant amount of new fiber optic installation; Mt. Carmel for cement stabilization of soils — 531,000 sq. yds.; Antigo for pavement breaking — 132,000 sq. yds.; Bunn Industries for underdrains — 60,381 linear ft.; Mamco for HMA milling — 200,000 sq. yds.; Roadsafe for traffic maintenance; C Tech for guardrail; and CMG for trucking.
Project designers were WSP and Baker International. Project inspection is headed by Butler, Fairman & Seufert Engineers, WSP and Etica Group.
"Caterpillar, Wirtgen, Roadtec, John Deere, Case, Link-Belt, Hamm, Volvo and many other manufacturers will have equipment being used throughout construction," Calder reported. CEG
Brenda Ruggiero
Brenda Ruggiero has written for CEG for over 20 years. She lives near the town of Accident in far western Maryland. Her favorite assignments so far involved interviews with Survivor’s Boston Rob and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut. Both were involved in construction at one time.
Brenda holds a BA in Mass Communication with a writing focus from Frostburg State University and minors in Public Relations and Political Science. She works full time as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican. She enjoys feature writing the most, which gives her the opportunity to talk to people and share their stories.
Brenda and her middle school sweetheart, Reuben, have been married for over 34 years and have three grown children and four cats.
Read more from Brenda Ruggiero here.
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