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The current projects follow on the heels of similar
work done on I-20. These and the earlier projects had a 40-foot median to
work with in building the new lanes and inserting the concrete barrier
rails. The 40-foot median allowed for the additional lanes to be constructed
with inside widening only, which simplifies the design and construction
dramatically. However, there remained one segment that was approximately
7-miles long that had a 30-foot median.
The 30-foot median did not allow adequate room to
fully construct the barrier wall and the additional lanes, so this segment
was divided into two phases of construction. The first phase closed in the
median with the required drainage improvements and concrete barrier to
provide quick relief from the crossover accidents. This phase of
construction is now complete and open to traffic. The barrier wall is in
place and the four lanes are pushed to the inside.
Phase 529
The second phase, which is currently under final
design, will add one lane to the outside in each direction and is targeted
to be let to contract in early 2006. Once this phase is complete, I-20 will
be a full six lanes from Birmingham to approximately a half mile west of the
St. Clair/Talladega County line.
“Because of the urgency of the safety issues, our
director wanted these projects put on a fast track,” said Davis. “So as soon
as the planning was complete, the money was allocated and the projects were
let. The contractors are having success in meeting some tight schedules.”
The current road-building projects are being
coordinated by APAC Southeast Inc., based in Birmingham, Alabama, and Good
Hope Contracting, Cullman, Alabama. These contractors are building two
sections of road that are approximately 4-miles long each. The
bridge-widening part of the project is being handled by Alabama Bridge of
Pelham, Alabama; and the rubblization was done by RMI, of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
As with most projects of this size and complexity,
teamwork is essential. Good Hope’s project began by July, 2004. The three
lanes are supposed to be fully opened to traffic by press time.
“We’ve worked with excellent subcontractors,” said
Good Hope’s Vice President John Brown. “At the halfway point of our allotted
time, we had completed 71% of the work.”
Good Hope and APAC Southeast Inc. were responsible
not only for the road building, but also for ensuring proper drainage
between the east- and west-bound lanes of the highway. Drainage inlets were
constructed to collect the water and route it away from the traffic.
The drainage inlets were constructed to fit with an
unusual concrete barrier rail. The usual jersey barriers are about 32-inches
high, but contractors were required to add another 22 inches of concrete to
make the barriers high enough to reduce the glare of truck lights into the
other lanes, as well as all but eliminate rubbernecking of motorists slowing
down to watch anything unusual happening in the opposing lanes.
“The rubblizing process also went smoothly,” said
Jeff Janeway, APAC Southeast Inc.’s area manager for Birmingham-Tuscaloosa.
“By rub-blizing the concrete, we saved time and money. There’s no way we
could have done the job with that kind of timeline without rubblizing.”
By mid-August, APAC’s project was 85% complete. When
the company is finished, it will have constructed 1,800 feet of barrier rail
and used some 300,000 tons of asphalt. APAC, Good Hope, other contractors
and agency personnel at the DOT will have contributed to an even more
important, though unknown, statistic. “The additional lane will help with
the traffic flow,” said Janeway, “but we will also have made the road a lot
safer. There’s no telling how many lives this project will have saved.” |
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