Timing is everything when you’re doing road construction on a busy interstate. That’s especially true when you want to turn a five-year job into a four-year job. That’s the challenge our crews have faced with our rehabilitation project on Interstate 85, which is coincidentally one of the largest projects that S.T. Wooten has constructed.
At the request of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), we found a way to accelerate our deadlines and are on target to complete the project this year. Once completed, our work will cover a busy 21-mile stretch of the interstate from Vance and Warren Counties in North Carolina to the Virginia state line. Careful planning and hard work have helped us stay on track, but changing plans has come with a few challenges.
One team, one dream
One of the biggest obstacles our crews have dealt with on the I-85 job has been the sheer length of the construction site. It takes 40 minutes just to drive to one end and back. Since it is such a large area and timelines have been accelerated, a lot of construction has taken place at the same time on different parts of the interstate. That includes:
- Grading and drainage. Safety clearing per NCDOT guidelines.
- Asphalt wedging to eliminate normal crown superelevation and improve profile.
- Concrete slab replacement.
- Concrete paved travel lanes.
- Asphalt paved shoulders.
- Installation of guardrails, traffic barriers and signage.
- Replacement of seven bridges and rehabilitation of nine bridges.
To help us manage all of these elements happening simultaneously, we created different work zones to improve efficiency across the project. By diagramming these areas and understanding how things are progressing in each section, we’re able to communicate better with each other and adjust plans when unexpected things happen.
And, as you might expect, things do pop up from time to time. We’ve dealt with everything from hurricanes to traffic accidents that have thrown a wrench into things over the past three years. By understanding how all our stages of work fit together, we’re able to prioritize the work that needs to get done when something comes up and make sure we stay on schedule.
The method for traffic management
While traffic management is always a focus, it became an even bigger priority in our planning and execution on I-85 due to the accelerated timelines. We originally planned to open the interstate up to four lanes each year from Thanksgiving to New Years but had to switch gears and keep the lanes more restricted in order to accelerate construction.
Having fewer lanes open might seem like a drag for folks on the roads, but it’s the public that ultimately benefits when construction is completed faster. Drivers are also less likely to weave in and out of traffic when there are only one or two lanes open, so it can help improve safety for drivers and crews.
To further improve safety and increase efficiency, we made the I-85 project part of an automated work zone. Sensors have been placed along the road to get data on traffic conditions surrounding the work zone. This information is used to give updates to drivers on traffic conditions, indicate where there are stops ahead and offer alternative driving routes.
The use of new technologies extends to the equipment we’ve used to get the job done on I-85. One example is robotic paving machines, which allow our crews to pave quickly and within .25-inch tolerance on interstate lanes.
The final stretch
Heading into 2019, we’ve finished all of the paving and completed all the bridge work we needed to do on I-85. We are currently only working on punch list items and permanent markings.
From top to bottom, careful planning and the hard work from our crews has been paying off as the final phase of the project begins. At the end of the day, the early finishing date will be welcomed by travelers in North Carolina. Drivers can expect smooth roads ahead as they travel between Henderson and the Virginia state line.
