ForConstructionPros.com

It’s only a 2.8-mile long project, but the reconstruction of I-465 on the Northwest side of Indianapolis is a massive undertaking requiring 360,000 tons of hot mix asphalt; and paving contractor E & B Paving Inc. expects to complete laying the new road by November.

The Anderson, IN-based road contractor, which generates 70 percent of its annual revenue through paving projects, added crews and a portable Astec double-barrel plant at its Indianapolis batch plant location to accommodate the average daily placement of 6,000 tons of HMA. E & B began work on the project in April by placing crossover lanes to reroute traffic from the divided interstate. The project called for expanding the three northbound and three southbound travel lanes to four travel lanes in each direction, along with adding a fifth and/or sixth lane at major interchanges to accommodate a smooth flow of traffic entering or existing the interstate.

By July 4th, three southbound travel lanes of the project were completed and traffic was rerouted back onto the new road. Work on completing the center divide and the fourth travel lane will then be completed before reconstruction of the northbound side of the project begins. Final pavement is expected to be completed by the end of November, with final lighting and signage work to be completed by May 2006. Walsh Construction of Illinois is the general contractor on the warranty project and expects to receive an early completion bonus if the entire project is open to traffic by the end of November.

Total reconstruction of the project called for removal of an asphalt overlay before rubblization and removal of the original Portland cement concrete road. After new aggregate was added to the base and final grading completed, E & B Paving’s crews began placing new HMA around the clock to keep pace with demolition and grading crews. The new 20-inch-thick asphalt road consist of a 5.5-inch base course, followed by a 5-inch open graded drainage course, followed by another 5.5-inch base course, then a 2.5-inch intermediate binder course and finally a 1.5-inch steel slag SMA surface mat.

“The biggest challenge we have with this project is the volume of work that it entails,” says John McCurdy, project superintendent who’s been in the paving business for over 30 years. “The longest section we worked on in one shift was 1,700 feet. When we get to the binder course, we run it from bridge (an overpass constructed of concrete) to bridge to avoid any noticeable breaks in the mat and maintain a smooth ride from bridge to bridge.”