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| Mason City | Springfield | Rochester | Dubuque | Ames | East Dubuque |
Construction is now underway on a bridge replacement and roadway reconstruction project designed by WHKS & Co. for the Iowa Department of Transportation. Located on Iowa 988 north of Council Bluffs in Pottawattamie County, the $6.5 million project involves construction of a 1273 foot long bridge adjacent to the existing bridge. Approximately one mile of newly constructed roadway will connect the new structure to the existing roadway. Once construction of the new structure is completed, traffic will be shifted from the existing bridge to the new one, and the existing bridge will be demolished. Construction is planned to be completed by December of 2005.
The new 44 foot wide bridge will carry traffic over Lapworth Creek, a Union Pacific railroad, Pigeon Creek and 152nd Street. Each of the eleven spans will consist of seven pretensioned prestressed concrete beams ranging in length from 81.4 feet to 141.4 feet. Stub abutments founded on steel 'H' pile and three column reinforced concrete piers also founded on 'H' piles will support the superstructure. Pier column heights will vary from 22 feet to 30 feet. Finger joints consisting of 2.25 inch steel plate and bronze lubricated sliding plate beam bearings will accommodate the calculated four inch thermal movement at the abutments.
Construction of the new roadway will involve moving over 200,000 cubic yards of earth and installation of wick drains to shorten anticipated settlement delays. It is determined that the newly constructed east approach embankment will cause the soil in the vicinity of the existing east abutment to displace both vertically and horizontally. While this movement is not anticipated to reach a level to where it is detrimental to the bridge, the movement will be monitored with survey control points and corrective action will be taken if so needed.
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WHKS & Co. is currently conducting a peer review of the bridge inspection and load rating policies and procedures for “critical” Precast, Prestressed Concrete Deck Beam bridges as carried out by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Bureau of Bridges & Structures (BBS). The inspection and load rating process, developed by the BBS, in response to the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) mandated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is currently being updated to reflect the results of a recent study performed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The BBS has commissioned WHKS to study and evaluate the process and make recommendations for improvement where necessary.
As part of the study, WHKS will interview BBS personnel significantly involved in the development and execution of the process. WHKS bridge inspection staff will also accompany IDOT inspection personnel during “Damage” and “Special Feature” inspections as well as perform independent inspections of randomly selected bridges throughout the state in accordance with NBIS. To aid in the evaluation of the rating segment of the process, WHKS will perform independent load ratings of several bridges recently analyzed by BBS staff.
The time duration to complete the entire process is a key concern, so the BBS has also requested that WHKS determine and evaluate the time requirements at current staff levels. To accomplish this goal, WHKS will study the complete time interval by selecting 50 random bridges, which have been through the entire process. Evaluation and recommendations will be based on a review of Department records for these bridges and through discussions with key staff.
This project is the first assignment for our Various-Various contract with the Bureau of Bridges & Structures.
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WHKS & Co. is providing design and construction details for Sangamo Construction Company to construct Temporary Soil Retention Systems for three different bridges in Illinois. All three are Illinois D.O.T. projects, two are located in Marion County (IDOT District 7) in southern Illinois and one is located in Montgomery County (IDOT District 6) in central Illinois. The Temporary Soil Retention systems are required for stage construction at the abutments and are anticipated to be driven sheet piling with wale supports. Wale supports are required due to poor soil conditions and/or high bedrock elevations.
Also included in the project is the design of a cofferdam for construction of the pier adjacent to the channel for one of the Marion County bridges and analysis and shoring of the fascia beams for applied loads from the deck pouring operation at the Montgomery County bridge.
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Traffic studies indicated that the additions of a Super-Walmart and Menards to an existing commercial area in Winona would lead to a significant increase in traffic congestion. Therefore, two new bituminous paved streets designed by WHKS & Co. for the Port Authority of Winona, Minnesota, were constructed in 2004. The construction cost of the Menard and Riverbend Roads project was estimated to be approximately $850,000.
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The project site had several challenges for the design team, one of which was that the area allocated for construction had no provisions for conventional stormwater retention ponds. To overcome this obstacle and optimize land use, WHKS & Co. utilized an innovative underground stormwater retention structure in the design. This structure collects stormwater runoff from the site and treats the runoff using a large grit chamber beneath the paved street.
The project site also included a Brownfield site containing hazardous waste. The area was a former dumping location for local manufacturers. Measures were taken to properly handle these wastes and the surrounding contaminated soil. In addition, existing traffic lights located on adjacent Minnesota Trunk Highway 43 had to be relocated. An aggressive timeline was implemented for the light relocation in order to minimize traffic interruptions.
Both the City and the Port Authority of Winona are pleased with the new streets and the growth of the commercial district. Brian DeFrang, City Engineer for the City of Winona, states: " The Menard and Riverbend Roads project went well. WHKS & Co. was easy to contact and get answers from when problems arose."
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The Camp Dresser McKee (CDM) / WHKS & Co. team is studying the Bee Branch Watershed area located at the north end of Dubuque. The City of Dubuque requested the study and preliminary design to find an alignment solution that would solve the recurrent flooding experienced in watershed area, taking into consideration social, economic, environmental and engineering constraints.
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The Dubuque City Council established a 16-member Bee Branch Citizen Advisory Committee (BBCAC) to work with the CDM / WHKS & Co. team to determine the location, alignment and preliminary design of a drainage solution. Members of the BBCAC include affected property owners, business owners and interested citizens. Public involvement is a key part of the project, since options to resolve the flooding will require the acquisition of approximately 70 homes and businesses.
The BBCAC has considered various alternatives, including an open channel alignment beginning at the 16th Street Detention Basin and extending to the intersection of 24th & Elm Streets. Another alternative being considered is the combination of an underground pipe and an open channel from 24th Street to Garfield Street by way of Elm Street and Kneist Street. Both alternatives would require a construction width of 150-190 feet, which is the reason for the high number of property acquisitions.
The Dubuque City Council will determine which alternative will be best for the City. Construction dates have not been set, but the project has been established as a priority for the City of Dubuque.
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WHKS & Co. is providing engineering and survey services to Professional Realty and Development Corporation (PRDC) for an assisted living complex on a 12.1-acre lot of Harvest View Estates subdivision in the City of Dubuque, Iowa.
Engineering services include topographic survey, American Land Title Association (ALTA) survey, grading and erosion control, water main, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, storm water management, streets, parking areas, and construction staking.
The PRDC Senior Living Complex will consist of an 180,000 square-foot building with 92 surface parking spaces and an underground parking garage to serve 180 residents, plus 24 one and two bedroom villas. Construction has begun on the main building and the entire project is expected to be completed in 2006.
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WHKS & Co. is providing planning, design engineering, platting, survey and construction staking services for an on-going 70-acre mixed use development in the City of Dubuque, Iowa. Although the main component of the development is single family residential lots, 7.2-acres have been created for commercial development and 12.1-acres for a senior living center.
Engineering services provided by WHKS & Co. include grading, storm sewer, storm water management, sanitary sewer, water main, and street design. Platting and construction staking services have also been provided by WHKS & Co.
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The Dubuque Community School District is planning to replace Prescott Elementary School, located in downtown Dubuque, with a larger school whose campus will span two city blocks. The District will require that one block of 12th Street, a low volume street, be vacated. The District retained the services of WHKS & Co. to complete a traffic study for the proposed one-block closure of 12th Street.
The traffic study compared traffic levels-of-service at intersections surrounding the proposed one-block closure of 12th Street for the existing and proposed conditions. Surrounding businesses and affected City services were contacted regarding the operational impact the one-block street closure would have on their day-to-day operations. WHKS & Co. worked closely with City of Dubuque engineering staff and the Iowa Department of Transportation regarding the impacts to the state highway system and potential impacts to the Downtown Dubuque Master Plan.
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WHKS & Co. is currently providing surveying, planning, and engineering services to the City of Ames for the West Lincoln Way Widening project. The West Lincoln Way corridor serves as a primary entrance to Ames from the west. Jurisdiction of the roadway was recently transferred to the City of Ames by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IaDOT). WHKS & Co., together with the City of Ames, identified key goals of the proposed improvements: develop a safe and functional roadway; create a more urban feel as motorists approach Ames; and support future commercial and residential enterprises along the corridor, all in the most cost efficient manner.
The existing roadway was a two-lane highway with gravel shoulders and rural ditches. The corridor is bordered on the south by a residential area and on the north by a 106-acre parcel under development. When complete, it will contain a mix of low-density residential, high-density residential, and commercial areas. Traffic volumes are increasing substantially along the corridor and additional intersections were planned along Lincoln Way. Because the corridor provides access to and from Ames for thousands of motorists each day, it became evident that minimal disruption to traffic would be an essential aspect of the project.
WHKS & Co. performed topographic survey and right-of-way research and worked with the City to analyze the existing pavement structure along the corridor. Utilizing traffic volumes from a traffic study performed by WHKS & Co. in early 2004, a conceptual plan was created that achieved the project goals. A three-lane section with additional right turn lanes at intersections was designed to enhance traffic safety and functionality. Curb and gutter was added to create an urban feel and all improvements were coordinated with future growth plans along the corridor. Grassed channels were utilized beyond the curb, enhancing storm water runoff quality and eliminating the need for storm sewer. The project design utilized both Statewide Urban Design and Specifications (SUDAS) and IaDOT design standards. Construction of the improvements is scheduled for summer 2005.
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A joint effort by the states of Iowa and Illinois will construct a new companion structure and improved traffic capacity over the Mississippi River between Dubuque, Iowa and East Dubuque, Illinois. The project reconstructs 2.5 miles of U.S. 20 from Locust Street in Dubuque to east of Timmerman Drive in East Dubuque, Illinois and includes a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) at Locust Street. WHKS & Co. is a subconsultant to Parsons Transportation Group for the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
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WHKS & Co. is providing design services on the Illinois side for the reconstruction of the existing facility into a four-lane arterial, reconstruction of local streets, bridge and wall TS&L's, utilities, drainage, bike / pedestrian path, both existing and proposed right of way determination, pavement markings and maintenance of traffic during construction. Plum Street in East Dubuque will be constructed to provide improved access to the bluff area above U.S. 20. In addition to the roadway work, WHKS & Co. is providing survey and right of way services.
WHKS & Co. is also responsible for the preliminary and final design of the approach structures and retaining walls on the Illinois side of the main span of the Mississippi River. The steel girder portions of both the eastbound and westbound structures span the Burlington Northern Railroad and city streets in East Dubuque. WHKS & Co. is designing a grade separation structure on 6th St. over U.S. 20 and the Burlington Northern Railroad in East Dubuque, Illinois, as a part of the project.
The work requires close coordination with the project team, the City of East Dubuque, Illinois, the Iowa Department of Transportation central office and District Six staff, and the Illinois Department of Transportation Bureau of Bridges and Structures and District Two staff.
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WHKS & Co. is providing survey services to Illinois Department of Transportation District Two for hydraulic surveys of an existing five-span bridge over the Apple River on U.S. 20 approximately 2 miles west of Elizabeth and for a structure carrying U.S. 20 over Rush Creek 3.4 miles west of IL 78 in Jo Daviess County, Illinois. The purpose of the surveys is for the removal and replacement of the structures.
Project datum for both projects was the Illinois State Plane Coordinates West Zone 1997 Adjustment and the North American Vertical Datum of 1998 (NAVD 88). WHKS & Co. provided streambed profile with floodplain cross sections upstream and downstream of the U.S. 20 bridge. WHKS & Co. also provided bridge opening details and topographic survey covering 1000 feet of U.S. 20 pavement and right of way. The work on Rush Creek also included the re-establishment of the U.S. 20 centerline from existing plans and records.
For the project over Rush Creek, WHKS & Co. established project control using a Global Positioning System (GPS) fast static network tied to four horizontal and six vertical National Geodetic Survey control stations.
These projects are one of the assignments for a Various-Various contract with District Two.
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