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I-15 construction coming to a close early
Officials say streamlined design-build process led to finishing 10 months earlier than projected
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.
Sun Coverage
View Interstate 15 construction in a larger map
Consider it a Christmas gift — major construction on Interstate 15 north of the Spaghetti Bowl will be finished and all lanes and ramps will be open on Christmas Eve.
When ramps to and from Lake Mead Boulevard open Thursday, construction on the freeway will essentially be completed, and 10 months ahead of schedule, the Nevada Department of Transportation and project contractors announced on Tuesday.
The $240 million project to widen I-15 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Craig Road began Sept. 7, 2007, and wasn’t scheduled for completion until next fall.
The early completion is a result of the project being the first design-build project in the state, said Joseph Schroeder, the project manager for North Corridor Constructors, a joint venture of contractors Las Vegas Paving and CH2M Hill.
In a design-build project, the design and building phases are completed at the same time, rather than the traditional process of waiting until the design is completely finished before beginning construction.
“We were able to shorten that further simply through the really good relationships that existed between the Nevada DOT and North Corridor Constructors and an openness and a willingness to innovate,” Schroeder said.
That innovation included new ways of managing traffic during construction and new construction methods, Schroeder said.
Transportation department officials said cooperation from motorists also was essential.
“Much of the credit for the early completion goes to the motorists who drive I-15 regularly,” said Mary Martini, the district engineer for the area that includes Las Vegas. “Those who found personal alternate routes to avoid the congestion made our construction efforts more productive, allowing the project to be completed well ahead of schedule.”
In addition to an early completion, Schroder said, the contractors were pleased with the project’s safety record for workers and motorists.
The Nevada Contractors Association recently named North Corridor Constructors the safest contractor of the year.
“On the heels of some of the really sad experiences that have happened in this valley over the past few years with construction accidents and so on, hopefully it’s something that everybody in the valley can be proud of,” Schroeder said.
While the major work on the project is done, there is still some minor work to be finished in the coming months, mainly landscaping and painting, Schroeder said.
And in the spring, crews will return for three or four weeks to lay down a final layer of asphalt from the Spaghetti Bowl to Carey Avenue.
That work has to wait until warmer weather, when temperatures are at least 70 degrees at night. “Mother Nature won’t let us finish that (now),” Schroeder said.
The remaining paving shouldn’t be much of a hassle for motorists since it will be at night, officials said.
“It will be pretty quick, nothing major about it,” Schroeder said. “Very, very minor in comparison with what we’ve been dealing with for the last year and a half or so.”
The success of this project has encouraged the Department of Transportation to use the design-build process again, next for the $246 million Interstate 15 South project, which will widen the road from Tropicana Avenue to Silverado Rancho Boulevard, south of Blue Diamond Road.
That project is scheduled to begin in February or March, NDOT spokesman Bob Mckenzie said.
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Union workers rule.
Nice job! This is good news!
"Union workers rule."
Except when they violate safety protocols and then blame the inspectors for not catching it. After all they are just "afraid" of losing their jobs because management "told" them to cut corners.
"On the heels of some of the really sad experiences that have happened in this valley over the past few years with construction accidents and so on, hopefully it's something that everybody in the valley can be proud of," Schroeder said"
Hmmmm if the "highly" trained union employees were just concerned about safety they should have used the "mighty" union grievance system to protect them from unsafe conditions.
Don't forget we were in the middle of the worst recession in history. And that there were a lot more suppliers and construction workers than actual jobs.
Hold the celebration. Still some unfinished "business".
From the June 28th Sun:
"More instructive for a city hoping to avoid similar gaffes in the future may be looking at how the decision to close the street in the first place caught residents off guard, opened old wounds and will end up costing taxpayers $40 million to $70 million."
Just pathetic that the politicians caved in to the ridiculous demands to reopen this street. Of course the media didn't have the guts to call it correctly...
Btw, for those with short memories, the above post refers to F street.
This has nothing to do with F Street. So get off your high horse and piss off. This has to do with I-15 only... and the fact that I-15 is opening 10 months before scheduled. Get over yourself.
Doc- Sorry if you don't understand that F street is indeed a part of the project. You must agree with spending that additional 40-70 million.
Someone should feel sorry for you.
No, you don't understand. This article is simply about the opening of lanes and ramps ON I-15 ONLY! It is not about your personal agenda and F Street. So there is no need for you to bring it up. You don't get it. Again, get over yourself.
Wrong once again Doc- The headline says that the project is coming to a close.
Sadly, you can't understand that F street was and still is a part of the job.
Obviously you support the waste of tens of millions of dollars to placate special interests. That's why people like yourself want to sweep this sellout of the taxpayer away.
well i read this article and it has nothing to do with F Street... all i see is the I-15 posted everywhere... hey Logic why dont you wait til its an article about F street and before you open your big mouth- clearly you are the only one who is referring this article to it.. why hasn't the author informed us of this if its such a big deal??? Oh maybe because its about the I-15 reopening on Christmas Eve.. DUH!
joost87 - Happy that you can read the story.
Obviously some are not bright enough to realise that an important component was left out of the story.
The same mentally impaired folks don't know or worse yet, don't care if their tax dollars are wasted.
Whine, whine, whine about alleged wasted tax dollars, yet say nothing about the great job they did to COMPLETE the I-15 widening. You'd rather bitch and moan... must be a hardcore right winger.