2022 Top 400 Sourcebook: Enhancements Elevate Safety on Problematic I-70
Project addresses treacherous driving conditions of West Vail Pass.
Photo courtesy of CDOT RS&H
The dramatic scenery of West Vail Pass on I-70 in Colorado belies the 11-mile corridor’s many longstanding mobility and safety challenges. As traffic volumes have grown, so too have the hazards of steep grades and tight curves, leading to inconsistent travel times and I-70’s highest crash rateThe region’s extreme winter weather compounds corridor woes by accelerating infrastructure wear. In 2021, Kiewit Infrastructure Co. began a four-year, $170-million program to help the Colorado Dept. of Transportation address these issues, with a strategy that includes new auxiliary lanes, flattened curves, upgraded structures and a variable speed-limit system. Designed by RS&H, the context-sensitive project also includes a new 1,000-ft-long curved segmental bridge, wildlife crossings, automated de-icing technologies and a sediment control plan that will trap wintertime traction sand.
Brayman/Trumbull
Legg Memorial Bridge
Scheduled to open this fall, the 1,400-ft-long Kanawha River crossing is the centerpiece of a $224-million, 3.8-mile expansion of I-64 between Nitro and St. Albans, W. Va., constructed by a joint venture of Brayman Construction and Trumbull Construction. The old structure will be rebuilt using existing piers, providing eight traffic lanes. The entire project should be complete by October 2023.
Skanska
Big Bend Road/I-75 Interchange Reconstruction
Skanska is leading the $81.7-million design-build effort to untangle one of Hillsborough County, Fla.’s busiest interchanges. The project will reconfigure Big Bend Road into a six-lane urban highway, and add new roundabouts and a 10-ft-wide shared-use path along both sides. The scheduled completion is summer 2024.
Granite
Knik-Goose Bay Road Reconstruction
Construction began in August on the $55-million, 2-year first phase of the Knik-Goose Bay Road Reconstruction project near Wasilla, Alaska. Granite Construction will upgrade four miles of two-lane road into a four-lane divided highway.
Crider & Crider/F.A. Wilhelm Construction
Purple Line BRT
The 15-mile Purple Line adds to Indianapolis’s bus rapid transit system, connecting downtown to Lawrence, Ind. Crider & Crider Inc. holds a $95.6-million civil contract, while F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. holds an $18.2-million stations and systems contract. Scheduled for completion in 2024, the project will add 10 miles of sidewalks and a multi-use path.
Flatiron
U.S. Route 50 Corridor Enhancement
Photo courtesy of Flatiron
Begun in November 2020, the $460-million upgrade in Sacramento, Calif., will add seven miles of new carpool lanes in each direction, and lower the highway at seven overpasses to provide additional clearance for truck traffic. Seven of the design-build project’s 12 bridge replacements and three miles of retaining walls will be in place by the end of the year, while work continues on replacing existing lanes with new concrete pavement and long-life asphalt. The WSP-designed program will also rehabilitate three pumping plants that move groundwater away from the highway. Completion is scheduled for early 2025.
Looking for quick answers on construction and engineering topics?
Try Ask ENR, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask ENR →
