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Top 10 TxDOT Projects Total More Than $1 Billion
By Debra Wood
Striving to keep up with a growing population, the Texas Department of Transportation continues making highway improvements across the state. TxDOT reports road use in the state increased 95% during the past 25 years, with road capacity growing by 8%. It projects road use will expand 214% during the next quarter century.
A total of TxDOT’s top 100 projects under way represents more than $7 billion investment in improving the state’s road system. Texas Construction magazine presents the top 10 projects started in 2007, ranked by contract value. Their total value is approximately $1.08 billion. Five of the projects are in the Houston District. Williams Brothers Construction Co. of Houston holds three of the top contracts.
1-El Paso Inner Loop (Spur 601)
Private funding accelerated the start of the $268 million El Paso Inner Loop, Spur 601 Project, which will improve access to Fort Bliss and El Paso, including international ports of entry to the region. The El Paso Master Transportation Plan reports this northeastern area has one of the highest growth rates in the city. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense will increase troop size at nearby Fort Bliss by 50,000 in association with Base Realignment and Closure activities.
J.D. Abrams of Austin will finance, design and build the 7.4-mi-long Inner Loop, which will connect U.S. Route 54 to the Purple Heart Memorial Highway (Loop 375). It is the state’s first private-sector, pass-through toll-financing agreement.
TxDOT has invested $45 million in traditional highway construction funds. The El Paso International Airport contributed $10 million. And J.D. Abrams will finance the remaining $213 million using tax-exempt bonds.
The state will reimburse the company from Strategic Priority funds, based on the volume of traffic the highway generates, up to $350 million over 20 years, with a maximum amount per year not to exceed $35 million. The state will not collect tolls.
Work began work in August on Spur 601, with construction scheduled to wrap up in January 2011. During construction of Segment A, from the Airport Road/Sergeant Major Boulevard Interchange to Loop 375, Abrams will design and construct a four-lane road, with inside and outside shoulders expandable to six lanes. Texas turnarounds, or U-turns, will be provided at each interchange. DEB: what are ‘Texas turnarounds?” ES
In Segment B, from U.S. 54 to the Airport Road/Sergeant Major Boulevard Interchange, Abrams will build six lanes, entrance and exist ramps, a service road from U.S. 54 to Chaffee Road and one-way frontage roads from Chaffee Road to Airport Road/Sergeant Major Interchange. It also will widen the Broaddus Street overpass to create a more desirable weave and merge between the direct connectors and the U.S. 54 main lanes.
The project includes installation of a traffic management system and traffic signals.
Key Facts
Location: El Paso
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
Contractor: J.D. Abrams, Austin
Start/complete: August 2007/January 2011
Contract value: $268 million
2-IH 45 Improvements
Williams Bros. Construction Co. of Houston received the $175.5 million contract to double the number of concrete main lanes along 4.5 mi of IH-45, from four to eight, through the East Texas city of Conroe between North and South Loop 336. TxDOT reported in August that this was the largest contract it ever awarded for work in Montgomery County.
In addition to adding four main lanes, Williams Bros. will construct three lanes of concrete northbound and southbound frontage roads, reconfigure entry and exit ramps between Wilson Road and State Highway 105 and reverse the Gladstell overpass. The job calls for building nine bridges; adding new signals and high-mast lighting; and installing water, sanitary sewer and storm water lines. Project design allows for the addition of future managed-use lanes and a camera system to monitor traffic speed and road conditions.
A fault line crosses IH-45 in the area. Retaining walls and bridges were designed to accommodate movement. TxDOT is using wick drains on this project to monitor embankment settlement and help consolidate existing soil.
Williams Bros. will maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction throughout the project. During the first phase of construction, the company will build temporary southbound lanes, and then detour traffic while the northbound lanes are rebuilt. The last phase will rebuild temporary southbound lanes with permanent structures. The project is scheduled for completion in fourth quarter 2011.
Key Facts
Location: Montgomery County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: Williams Bros. Construction Co., Houston
Start/complete: September 2007/ July 2011
Contract value: $175.5 million
3-Interstate 30 Mobility Improvement Project
Converting the last remaining components of the former Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike into a modern highway, W.W. Webber Contractors of Houston began construction in December on the $143.8 million Interstate 30 Mobility Improvement Project.
Webber will construct continuous, one-way frontage roads from Cooper Street to Baird Farm Road and Ballpark Way; rebuild IH-30 main lanes from Cooper Street to Ballpark Way, depressing the highway; build a new seven-lane Baird Farm Road Bridge; and reconstruct the eight-lane FM 157/Collins Street Bridge. Dropping the six main lanes 20 ft below grade allowed for shorter bridge spans and the need to obtain less land for right-of-way. Traffic will shift to a temporary road while crews excavate the new eastbound lanes. In 2009, crews will work on the westbound lanes.
Substantial completion is expected in May 2009 on the frontage roads, eastbound main lanes, a portion of the FM 157/Collins Street widening and the south half of the Baird Farm Road Bridge. The remainder should wrap up in by the end of 2010. Plans call for some HOV elements in 2011.
The TxDOT and the city of Arlington formed a partnership to complete the work. The city acquired right-of-way and paid for design and utility relocation. Federal and state dollars are funding construction costs.
Key Facts
Location: Arlington, Tarrant County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: W.W. Webber Contractors, Houston
Start/complete: December 2007/December 2010
Contract value: $143.8 million
4-State Highway 45 Southeast Turnpike
The $139.7 million State Highway 45 Southeast Turnpike will provide an east-west connection between Interstate 35 at FM 1327, north of the Central Texas city of Buda with State Highway 130 and U.S. Route 183 near Mustang Ridge in Travis County.
A joint venture between Balfour Beatty Infrastructure of Atlanta and T.J. Lambrecht Construction of Euless began working on the 7.4-mi-long toll road in July. The team will build a four-lane, controlled-access roadway with a wide center median, and grade-separated interchanges at IH-35, North Turnersville Road, FM 1625 and SH 130/U.S. 183.
The project includes building 21 bridges and 31 retaining walls and excavating about 2.2 million cu yds of dirt. The team had completed installation of drill shafts on 17 of the bridges in March. Widening of IH-35 and excavation and embankment work on SH 45 and IH-35 were continuing, as was placement of lime-treated sub-grade and select fill on the SH 45 main lanes.
Once the embankment is placed on SH 45, crews will add 4-in. of asphalt bond breaker, followed by 13 in. of reinforced concrete paving.
The team has 22 salaried and 114 hourly employees working on the site. The project should wrap up in early 2009.
Key Facts
Location: Travis County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: A joint venture between Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Atlanta, and T.J. Lambrecht Construction, Euless
Start/complete: July 2007/early 2009
Contract value: $139.7 million
5-U.S.Route 59-the Eastex Freeway
Texas Sterling began working in January 2007 on a $90.7 million contract to widen from four lanes to eight lanes 4.8 mi of U.S. Route 59, the Eastex Freeway, in Montgomery County north of Houston, and widen frontage roads from two lanes to three lanes from FM 1314 to Northpark Drive. The project includes a main lane at-grade bridge, an overpass and storm sewer and signal improvements.
Completion is scheduled for mid-2009.
Key Facts
Location: Montgomery County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: Texas Sterling Construction Co., Houston
Start/complete: January 2007/July 2009
Contract value: $90.7 million
6-Spur 421
Williams Bros. began adding two lanes to 4 mi of Spur 421 in June. The road inside the San Antonio city limits, currently has five lanes and will end up with three lanes in each direction and a continuous left turn lane. The $74.3 million project also includes a two-phased bridge reconstruction; extensive underground utility work, replacing water mains and sanitary sewer lines and installing stormwater drainage; and construction of bike lanes and sidewalks.
Spur 421 passes through a 40-year-old residential and commercial district, requiring the contractor to maintain 24-hour access to local homes and businesses. The road passes in front of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower. TxDOT has added decorative elements at the crosswalks and mosaic designs in the sidewalks and bus pads that complement the basilica.
The project should finish in 2011.
Key Facts
Location: San Antonio, Bexar County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: Williams Bros. Construction, Houston
Start/complete: June 2007/2011
Contract value: $74.3 million
7-U.S. Route 59
Williams Bros. is widening a 3.3-mi segment of U.S. 59 in the East Texas town of Splendora. Work on the $57.4 million project started in May 2007. The company will widen an existing four-lane highway to six concrete lanes and widen an existing three-span main lane bridge at Creekwood/Patton Village to the inside to form one continuous bridge structure.
The project includes adding two northbound and southbound frontage road bridges crossing Peach Creek, which runs parallel to and then crosses U.S. 59. The creek’s large watershed presents some construction challenges. The normally shallow, slow-moving creek becomes a deep, swift stream when it rains.
Crews will widen the channel and line it with concrete riprap to form a water detention area and improve the storm sewer system. The project is scheduled for a fourth quarter 2010 completion.
Key Facts
Location: Splendora, Montgomery County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: Williams Bros. Construction, Houston
Start/complete: May 2007/Fourth quarter 2010
Contract value: $57.4 million
8-State Highway 332
Widening State Highway 332 in Southeast Texas’ Brazoria County is a key component to enhance evacuation of the Brazosport area in case of a high-force hurricane. W.W. Webber of Houston began a $45.6 million project in August, widening from two lanes to four lanes a 2.5 mi segment over the Brazos River and through Brazoria to State Highway 36.
The bridge will replace the functionally obsolete and historical truss bridge currently carrying traffic from SH 332 and FM 521 into Brazoria. The new bridge is being built between the existing bridge and the railroad to the south and will span over the railroad.
Key Facts
Location: Brazoria County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: W.W. Webber, Houston
Start/complete: August 2007/Early 2010
Contract value: $45.6 million
9-State Highway 6 Improvements
As part of a TxDOT statewide initiative to improve the trunk system, T.J. Lambrecht began work on the $43.8 million, 9-mi State Highway 6 improvement project in September in Falls County near Waco. The team is working north to south, converting a two-lane road into a four-lane divided, asphalt-paved highway. The project includes building 10 concrete-girder bridges, one of which is an overpass and two cross water, and 6,300 ft of box culvert. Then crews will remove six bridges.
The job requires 970,000 cu yds of embankment, 400 flex spaces, 200,000 tons of asphalt and approximately 4,700 ft of pipe. The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2010.
Key Facts
Location: Waco
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: T.J. Lambrecht, Euless, Texas
Start/complete: September 2007/summer 2010
Contract value: $43.8 million
10-IH 10 Segment III
Balfour Beatty Infrastructure’s Southwest Region began work on Houston’s IH-10 Segment III, a $43.2 million project, in March 2007. Crews are adding two concrete general-purpose lanes and auxiliary lanes to a 1.7-mi section of IH-10 between Washington Avenue and Loop 610.
The project also includes the construction of a temporary Union Pacific Railroad shoo-fly railroad bridge and a three-track permanent bridge, and reconstruction of the existing eight to 10 lanes and of entrance and exit ramps.
The company has met multiple milestones on time, including the construction of a temporary rail bridge and the erection of steel beams. Balfour Beatty Infrastructure built the temporary rail structure, which was completed in October, while sister company Balfour Beatty Rail was subcontracted to complete the rail work.
In early November, the Balfour Beatty Infrastructure team shut down IH-10 to erect four steel beams that were 14.5 ft tall, 128 ft and 139 ft long, due to differences in the span lengths. Together, they weighed 2.6 million lbs.
Construction wrapped up on permanent railroad bridge in February. Completion is planned for fall 2008.
Key Facts
Location: Houston, Harris County
Owner: Texas Department of Transportation
General Contractor: Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Southwest Region, Austin
Start/complete: March 2007/fall 2008
Contract value: $43.2 million
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