Cheyenne Marginal at Randall Ave. Interchange - Cheyenne, WY

Project Focus
This Project rehabilitated the Randall Avenue Interchange at Interstate 25 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As the project Team leader, Sema Construction, Inc. was the Prime Contractor, with Interstate Highway Construction, Inc. performing the concrete paving. IHC’s scope of work included paving 1.107 miles of I-25, 2 ramps from I-25 to Randall Avenue and Randall Avenue from the I-25 Intersection to Warren Air Force Base Gate I

Project Details
Schedule & Complexity
This project was bid in October, 2008, and originally scheduled for completion September 31, 2010 set project completion. The Prime Contractor approached IHC with a request for assistance in accelerating the project schedule with the goal of completing the project in one year. After working through the details, the Team proposed the redesign to the Owner. The Owner held Forums to give the Public a chance to understand the advantages the shorter schedule would provide, while explaining the additional negative impacts, albeit short term. The result was acceptance of the one year schedule, and all parties collaborated to form a construction and management team that worked to enhance all member’s productivity.

The paving sequence was exceedingly important to ensure on-time project completion. The paving contractor was able to incorporate a large amount of monolithic curb and gutter, largely eliminating the more time consuming hand work curb and gutter, which further expedited the schedule. This timing pick up proved essential, as the weather turned exceedingly uncooperative, raining for thirty-three consecutive days.

The shortened schedule called for a change in the base course from Grading W to recycled concrete. The team removed the existing roadway and underlying road base, crushed it to specification and reused it for the new surfacing base course. The recycled base exceeded all requirements and specifications in quality, and proved to be an exceptionally good construction platform. Use of the recycled base also lessened the need for new, imported materials, and greatly reduced the trucking and fuel requirements.

Two ramps were designed as asphalt paved. After construction of the first one, tests showed that the asphalt did not reach the required strength. Consultations between the Owner, Prime Contractor and IHC convinced the Owner to change the second ramp to concrete paving.

Construction & Innovation
A centerline TBI was implimented in the 350 CMI paver which eliminated the need for Longitudinal TB baskets. A ski was utilized for matched slabs. A new design blockout was used to better the matched slab and keep surface clean. The aggregate was washed twice in order to gain additional strength. Some of the ramp pours used three pavers and four different widths in order to achieve the proper joint layout in the design.

Quality
The Paving Contractor’s constantly improving internal quality control plan set the platform for close attention to detail in process controls and equipment setup. This attention enabled enabled the achievement of quality construction joints and matched slabs. At this time, 85% of the thickness incentive is anticipated, along with 21% of the available incentive for ride quality. The project has not yet reached 100% acceptance, so these numbers could change.

Public Relations
One less year of construction-caused inconvenience to the traveling public and those wishing access to Warren Air Force Base is the best Public Relations available. The team truly provided innumerable benefits by changing the schedule.