The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is widening Route 63 to four lanes for a 14.4-mi. (23 km) stretch that links Moberly and Columbia, Missouri. Area motorists, including thousands of students who returned to Columbia for another school year at the University of Missouri eagerly anticipate this improvement.
Work is divided into two distinct projects. The northern segment includes two interchanges in a more urban setting. At a cost of $17.8 million, this project includes grading, paving and bridges on 6.4 mi. (10.2 km) extending from 0.5 mi. (.8 km) north of Route EE to 0.5 mi. (.8 km) south of South Business Route 63. The prime contractor is Chester Bross Construction Company of Hannibal, MO.
According to Dennis H. Brucks, area engineer for District 2, Bross Construction also is the prime contractor on the adjacent project, which includes grading, paving and bridges at a cost of $13.4 million. This second, southern project will provide 8 mi. (12.8 km) of four-lane Route 63 in Randolph County from South Business Route 63 to 0.1 mi. (.2 km) south of Route F. A new interchange at the intersection of Routes 63 and 22 also will be constructed.
In all, Bross Construction has a total of $31 million under contract with MoDOT in this well traveled stretch of Route 63 in Randolph and Boone counties. Brucks stated that early in the design process, MoDOT packaged all of the phases into one project contract. The benefits were twofold: an earlier projected completion date and a tremendous amount of interest in the project. Brucks characterized Bross Construction as a large contractor, established in the area, and capable of getting in and getting the job done.
“The four lane expressway between Moberly and Columbia has been pursued for many years due to the numerous accidents and congestion plaguing this 35 mi. stretch of Route 63. Funding was finally allocated for all of the remaining projects, and the motorists are anxiously awaiting the completion of these much needed improvements. The contract completion date is October of 2002, however, Bross Construction has experienced near ideal weather conditions so far this year and are currently well ahead of schedule and hope to have the highway open sooner than the completion date,” Brucks added.
With construction progressing three months ahead of schedule, the contractor is moving dirt and constructing bridges. The majority of the drainage structures is already installed. Contracts include all phases of construction — grading, drainage, bridge construction and paving.
The project includes eight ramps, seven bridges, 16,000 ft. (4,877 m) of piling averaging 45 ft. (13.7 m), and 70,000 cu. yds. (53,519 cu m) of concrete. A 12-in. (30.5 cm), non-reinforced concrete pavement will be used. This pavement is considered a medium-duty pavement by MoDOT standards.
With both projects, a total of 2 million cu. yds. (1.58 million cu m) of earth will be excavated. The northern project requires 1.2 million cu. yds. (917,474 cu m) of Class A excavation, 50 acres (20 ha) of clearing, and 947,000 cu. yds. (724,040 cu m) of compacting embankment. For both projects, earth moving is 90-percent complete with 1.9 million cu. yds. (1.4 cu m) moved.
“The earthwork is going as smoothly as I’ve ever seen it … All of the standard grading and excavation equipment has been used on this project. The dirt is being hauled with four-wheel drive tractors pulling tandem scrapers, which increases production over self-powered scraper hauling significantly. This has been the key to the contractor getting well ahead of his construction schedule. The tractors have fewer breakdowns than scrapers and do not need the assistance of a dozer to push them as they are making a cut … Weather and efficiency of scrapers being used have us completing in June what I thought we would be finishing in December,” Brucks explained.
“In this area — the north part of Missouri — our cycle time is so much better cause of flotation; large scrapers just aren’t suitable for this type work,” Dennis Asbury, Bross Construction grading foreman, added.
Bross Construction owns scrapers and other equipment; the contractor leases tractors. According to Asbury, equipment includes nine Case 9370 tractors with scrapers. They average 20 cu. yds. (15.3 cu m) per load, hauling an average of 11,000 to 12,000 cu. yds. (8,410 to 9,175 cu m) per day. Support equipment includes a D7 dozer, 9350 tractor with roller, and 16G motor grader on the haul road. Finish equipment consists of a D4H dozer, D5M dozer, and 143H motor grader. In addition, a Kobelco SK400LC is moving out silt and being used for erosion control.
The equipment is running consistently. According to Asbury, crews only missed three days of work during winter months, putting the earthmoving phase of the project ahead of schedule. A benevolent winter can’t take all the credit. Brucks is quick to point out that Asbury’s crew runs the motor grader after hours to be ready for the next day. “Dennis keeps the fill shaped up as you go along,” Brucks said.
“We have the full 14.4 mi. to do, but the south 8 mi. we subbed out to Hardy’s. The north 6.4 mi. we’re doing ourselves,” Asbury explained.
Hardy’s Inc. of Shelbyville, MO, is subcontracted to construct all five of the structural bridges on this project. JLA Construction is contracted to extend two of the large box culverts, which are classified as bridges since they span over 20 ft. (6.1 m), as well as all of the erosion control.
MoDOT works with the prime contractor and subcontractors on a daily basis. More than 13 inspectors are in the field, covering both projects.
“MoDOT and the contractors are working together to complete this project as efficiently as possible. Communication is ongoing daily between field personnel for each side. There is no formal partnering agreement, however, management personnel from both parties have regular project team meetings on the job site to work out issues in a timely manner and to keep on schedule,” Brucks said.
“MoDOT and Bross Construction also are sponsoring a diversity training program. The contractor trains minority crew members, and we [MoDOT] specify the hours of training and pay a portion of the hourly wages while participants are training. Hopefully, the employee will be retained after the training period,” he explained.
Approximately 35 crew members are currently on site, with 60 expected at the peak of construction. Crews are moving quickly. The project was let in October 1999 and awarded in November 1999. Work started in January 2000, and completion of both projects is slated for October 2002.
While keeping operations on, or even ahead of, schedule, the project team has worked together to address challenges. In addition to regular project meetings, there is a monthly meeting with officers of the construction company and representatives of MoDOT for purposes of long range planning.
“The major challenge for this project is traffic. Construction of some areas of this project must be done under traffic. Much planning is required to ensure that traffic control and phasing facilitate safe movement of traffic,” Brucks said.
The Route M and Route 63 interchange is a challenge. Since Route M will be routed over Route 63 along the same alignment as the existing at-grade intersection, a temporary bypass will be used to keep this vital intersection open during the construction phase. MoDOT is using changeable traffic signs to keep local motorists apprised of developments — what’s coming in the days and weeks ahead. The advance notification takes on extra importance with the M and 63 temporary bypass being used by truck traffic and local traffic from a nearby subdivision and high school.
“Industries have offset work schedules so as not to flood the intersection at 5 p.m.,” Brucks explained.
The project has seen overwhelming community support, according to Shane Peck, public affairs manager for District 2. Communities have pushed for improvements to Route 63. Many safety concerns are being address by widening the highway to four lanes. One of the worst intersections in the district, the Route 63/24 interchange, was the first to receive a complete overhaul. In fact, the 14.4 mi. (23 km) currently under construction, is part of a multi-year master plan. In 2004, MoDOT will be expanding the stretch from Moberly to Jacksonville, which will make the road from Macon to Columbia four lanes the entire way.
“People in these surrounding counties and city of Moberly are excited to see the project happening. I’ve been invited to the Rotary Club and many other civic groups to talk about the project,” Brucks said.
Peck added, “I have never seen a community so excited about a project.”
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