Situated in Smithfield, North Carolina, Johnston Community College serves approximately 14,000 students each year and has experienced steady growth across its academic and workforce development programs. To help manage increasing traffic demands, improve drainage and support student safety, the college launched a comprehensive initiative to upgrade nearly all of its parking lots and key roadway areas.
S.T. Wooten was initially called on to reconstruct the college’s two primary parking lots, including the heavily trafficked main entrance lot, as part of the broader campus improvement efforts. As construction progressed, the project scope expanded to include additional paving and road work across multiple areas of the campus transportation network.
By the end of the project, approximately 95% of Johnston Community College’s parking lots and roadways had been rehabilitated or fully replaced – helping the campus achieve a much more durable, efficient and future-ready infrastructure.
Accelerated Approach For An Active Campus
S.T. Wooten kicked off construction following the Memorial Day holiday in late May 2025, which left a compressed schedule for the bulk of construction to occur before most students would return in mid-August. With accessibility at the forefront of objectives, crews move forward with an accelerated project that required close coordination with college leadership and engineering partners, including The Timmons Group.
To meet the aggressive timeline while minimizing disruption, S.T. Wooten got started with work on both lots at the same time – which turned out to have many advantages. Crews were able to turn over the smaller parking lot in only 50 calendar days so students taking summer classes were able to use it. With that area back in service, the focus shifted to the larger and more complex front lot, where phasing and sectional turnover helped sustain campus traffic flow.
Paving And Drainage Improvements
Work on Johnston Community College’s primary front parking lot included comprehensive demolition, along with rebuilding of the pavement and supporting infrastructure. Key tasks included removal of existing pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk and storm drainage systems. This was followed by installation of updated drainage and structural pavement sections.
To help complete the project on a condensed schedule, S.T. Wooten brought in two full-time crews. Major quantities for the work included:
- Approximately 8,000 tons of aggregate base course (ABC stone)
- 325 tons of base course asphalt
- 600 tons of intermediate course asphalt
- 5,400 tons of surface course asphalt
- 16,000 linear feet of curb and gutter
- 3,500 square yards of sidewalk
- 30 new catch basins and more than 2,000 linear feet of storm drain
In addition to paving and concrete work, crews installed underground conduit infrastructure to support future lighting upgrades.
Overcoming The Obstacles
As it goes with any major construction job, crews faced unforeseen challenges in the field. While installing the new storm drain, the team found approximately 45 buried tree stumps beneath the existing pavement structure – which required additional clearing and subgrade preparation. Schedules were also complicated by an intense storm season that brough more than 20 inches of rain.
To address weather-related delays, the project team worked closely with the school to come up with contingency plans. A revised approach was implemented so the front could be turned over in two sections – allowing a partial reopening with the start of fall classes while final work continued in the remaining areas.
Crews still managed to complete the main front lot in the allotted 90 days. The first section underwent its final walkthrough the morning fall classes began, with the remaining section turned over just two weeks later.
Scope Expansion And Additions
As construction progressed, S.T. Wooten’s project scope saw significant expansion to help the school address additional needs on campus. Additional work included milling and paving secondary roadways, as well as sealcoating and striping four additional parking lots. Jaguar Drive, which was initially slated for sealcoating, was ultimately upgraded to full reconstruction following further condition assessment and lifecycle considerations.
Another significant addition was the renovation and expansion of the college’s Truck Driver Training (TDT) parking lot which is used to help students obtain their Commercial Driver's License. Added in October, this portion of the work also carried a compressed timeline of less than five weeks before scheduled training activities would resume.
For the TDT project, crews applied a five-inch asphalt section, approximately 2,600 tons of intermediate course asphalt, 2,000 tons of surface course asphalt, and roughly 6,000 tons of ABC stone to establish a crowned profile designed to improve drainage and load distribution for heavy vehicle use.
A Blended Approach
To help improve efficiency and reduce costs, Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) was utilized in select areas as a strategic alternative to full undercut and replacement. This process involved pulverizing the existing asphalt and blending it with underlying subgrade materials, followed by stabilization with cement and water to create a durable, structurally sound base.
By incorporating reclaimed asphalt into the stabilized layer, the need for material hauling and import of new aggregate base was significantly reduced. Crews also used GPS modeling to optimize cut-and-fill operations within the parking lot limits, enhancing grading precision and overall construction efficiency. Once mixed and compacted, the reclaimed base was allowed to cure for approximately seven days to achieve the required strength prior to paving.
Proactive engineering coordination played a key role in helping to address potential problems as part of S.T. Wooten’s expanded work. During installation of a new connector roadway between front and rear campus areas, crews identified potential ponding outside the original construction limits. The project team worked with the college and contractor to update the plans and add more storm drainage systems to the area to prevent future flooding.
Delivering Results On Tight Timelines
Throughout the project, maintaining operational continuity for an active campus remained a primary priority.
Across the full duration of the project, major production totals included:
- Approximately 10,000 tons of asphalt placed
- 42,000 square yards of full-depth reclamation
- 16,000 linear feet of curb and gutter installed
- 3,000 square yards of sidewalk constructed
Crews worked extended schedules, including six-day workweeks during peak phases, to meet milestone deadlines and ensure timely turnover of critical parking areas.
Acing The Test
For crews on the Johnston Community College project, success can be attributed to their hard work, strong communications and ability to apply innovative techniques like FDR to ensure quality and efficiency on the project. Through proactive oversight and careful management of an expanding scope, the team maintained steady progress while minimizing disruption to daily campus operations.
Beyond the immediate improvements, these upgrades position Johnston Community College to better support continued growth and evolving campus needs. The upgraded pavement and enhanced drainage systems will not only create a smoother experience for students, staff and visitors, but also extend service life and drive a more durable transportation network capable of accommodating increasing traffic volumes for years to come.Top of Form
