The Colorado Dept. of Transportation has selected Kiewit Infrastructure Co. as the construction manager/general contractor to do the permanent repairs in a 23-mile section of U.S. 34 between Estes Park and Loveland. The road was damaged by the floods in 2013.

The Kiewit team will be tasked with meeting Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s 2013 directive to “build back better than before.”

This selection comes following a rigorous procurement process. The Kiewit team was shortlisted in May 2015 along with other CM/GC teams from Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Co. LLC and Ames Construction.

“We’re thrilled to announce the selection of Kiewit to build this landmark project for the state of Colorado,” said Johnny Olson, CDOT regional transportation director. “We would have been fortunate to have any of the three teams building this project, but in the end, Kiewit’s proposal, experience in the corridor and expertise with projects of this magnitude made them the perfect fit.”

Following the floods of 2013, CDOT enlisted Kiewit to bring temporary, emergency repairs to U.S. 34.

“Kiewit completed those repairs in 59 days—ten days ahead of the governor’s December 1 deadline,” said Scott Ellis, CDOT project director.  “Now it’s time to go back and turn those temporary fixes into permanent repairs. After doing such an outstanding job in 2013, we were excited to see their proposal for the permanent repairs.  They did not disappoint, showcasing how they will help us meet our project goals.”

Those goals include:

• Building a safe system that meets the needs of the traveling public and stakeholders

• Building a more resilient roadway in harmony with the river and ecological systems

• Coordinating and collaborate with other agencies and stakeholders to maximize mutual benefits, goals and outcomes and to ensure that corridor improvements that are compatible with one another don’t preclude future investments

• Completing the roadway project by the end of 2017

• Maximizing system improvements within the allotted project budget

• Minimizing life cycle maintenance costs and provide a quality product

• Implementing an effective public outreach and communication plan

• Minimizing inconvenience to the public and residents along the corridor, and maximize safety for workers, residents and the public

“Kiewit is proud of the work that we did on the Flood Repair in 2013,” said Will White, Kiewit project manager.” We look forward to finishing the permanent repairs and continuing our relationships with CDOT and the Big Thompson Canyon community.”

Now that Kiewit has been selected as the CM/GC team, Ellis expects to have the full team on board in mid-July, with an initial notice to proceed. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2015 after design is complete.