Best Projects
39th Avenue Greenway and Open Channel Design-Build: Project of the Year Finalist, Best Landscape/Urban Development
Photo courtesy DHM
39th Avenue Greenway and Open Channel Design-Build
Denver
PROJECT OF THE YEAR FINALIST and BEST PROJECT LANDSCAPE/URBAN DEVELOPMENT
OWNER: Denver Office of Transportation and Infrastructure
LEAD DESIGN FIRM: Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU)
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: SEMA Construction Inc.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: DHM
AMENITIES: ECI
SUBCONTRACTORS: BT Construction; Ground Engineering; Horizontal Boring; Legacy Traffic Management; Martin Marietta; Martinez Associates Inc.; Pinyon Environmental Inc.; Rocky Mountain Rebar; Villalobos Concrete; Western States Reclamation Inc.; WL Contractors
This project is the fourth design-build project in the city of Denver’s history, and the third design-build project for which SEMA was selected as design-build contractor by the Denver Office of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI). The project’s combined elements of storm drainage and park amenities required special design attention in terms of public safety and the needs of the city’s maintenance teams. In addition to installing extensive drainage and roadway improvements, the project included state-of-the-art neighborhood amenities and Denver’s first shared street concept.
Related link: ENR Mountain States Best Projects 2021
Related link: Colorado Best Projects 2021
(Subscription Required)
The project created a greenway along 39th Avenue that collects and conveys floodwater through an open channel to the outfall at Globeville Landing Park. Crews installed extensive drainage and roadway improvements along with innovative features that included children’s play zones and a plaza, classrooms, community gardens, shade structures and bouldering elements.
Photo courtesy SEMA Construction
In addition, the work included design and construction of a detention basin within the Park Hill Golf Course, connected by a storm-drainage system from the Holly Pond. That included utility relocations, jacking of pipes under the Regional Transportation District and Union Pacific Railroad tracks, landscaping, drainage system infrastructure improvements and water-quality enhancements.
Photo courtesy SEMA Construction
The project’s greatest challenge centered around a major change to its central vision that occurred 12 months after construction of the utility and drainage tasks had started.
After submission of documents for the 90% design stage, the design-build team and DOTI decided that part of the plan for Franklin to Williams streets needed to change. During a three-month pause, the entire project team worked to incorporate changes to the retaining walls and layout of the greenway without delaying the overall project completion date.
Photo courtesy SEMA Construction
Without the use of design-build, such a sweeping change to the overall vision would not have been possible during construction of one of Denver’s most complex drainage projects.
Related link: ENR Mountain States Best Projects 2021
Related link: Colorado Best Projects 2021
(Subscription Required)
