Elm Street Improvements - Elizabeth, CO

Project Focus
This project improved the existing gravel road on Elm Street with 9,000 square yards of 5" portland cement concrete pavement. Elizabeth is an attractive Elbert County community southeast of Denver and has been a popular new "rural" home for many Denver workers. Elm Street is a busy 25 mph street with over 50 residents, with the city cemetery on one side and a park at the end. The existing 8% grade was a significant maintenance factor and made PCCP a very attractive long-term product. The project also provided storm drainage and a detention pond.

Project Details
The Town of Elizabeth approved a Contractor proposal to detour through traffic in order to ease the impact of construction, provide residential access and maintain through traffic. The Contractor also improved a future street to carry the through traffic to existing side streets. The town kept the detour as a new permanent street after project completion.

A major concern of the Owner was to provide local access to approximately 50 homes facing Elm Street and to ensure emergency vehicle access at all times. The Contractor achieved this by paving Elm Street one-half at a time and allowing local residents access to the prepared subgrade until the "last minute", when they were asked to move vehicles to allow for pavement operations. The Traffic Control Plan was approved by emergency service agencies and they were e-mailed, sometimes daily, as to progress to provide "up-to-the- minute" information concerning access to residences.

Construction & Innovation
This was an existing gravel road and the preparation was limited to minor shaping and 6" reconditioning, moisture density control of existing surface. The Contractor placed the PCCP with a Gomaco 6300 slipform paver with monolithic curb and gutter in two passes. The front yards of many of the homes were directly adjacent to the new pavement.

Quality
The Owner relied fully on the Contractor to provide all quality control functions so did not perform any quality assurance testing. This represents Owner/Contractor trust that is uncommon in the industry. The contractor tested all concrete for strength, thickness, air and slump, in compliance with the Contractor Quality Control Plan. Although a profilograph was not required, the Contractor checked the ride with a straightedge and no corrective measures were required.

Public Relations
Public relations was a major part of the Contractor's responsibility. They held two public meetings to allow residents to voice concerns, ask questions and gain schedule information. First time notification to homeowners and updates were provided through mailings, door-to-door contacts and e-mails. Emergency services, the Fire Department, Police, Sheriff and School Transportation, were given "up-to-the-minute" status reports of construction progress, traffic changes and access routes to residences along Elm Street.

All residents were very helpful, courteous and tolerant of minor inconveniences, recognizing they would have a great new street. The Contractor also contributed concrete to the Town of Elizabeth for improvements to Bandt Park.