Washington Group/Obayashi Corp., a Joint Venture
Bringing Relief To The Riverside 215/60/91 Interchange
By David Gallagher
Southern California’s “Inland Empire” is now home to more than 3.5 million people and has become an economic giant with hundreds of companies expanding their operations to this area over the past four years. The Inland Empire consists of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties and is expected to reach a population of approximately 4.5 million by the year 2010. This accelerated growth in one of the fastest growing urban areas in all of California is simply outpacing the current transportation infrastructure, creating a real problem for motorists and commerce alike.
To help alleviate this congestion and improve mobility across the region, Caltrans, the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the Federal Highway Administration are working in partnership to construct improvements to the 215/60/91 interchange and segments of each of the freeways that serve it. Because this is one of the largest and most complex projects currently going on in the Inland Empire, Washington Group International and Obayashi Corporation have teamed up to create a joint venture. The total project comes with a price tag of approximately $317 million; while the Washington Obayashi portion consists of around $207 million. The goal is to deliver results as early as possible using an innovative design sequencing method to advance construction of the 215/60/91 project. Design sequencing is a model which allows the overall project to be put out for bid when the project’s design is 30% complete. It is in fact a “design-build” process in which the contractor is selected and construction underway before the final design is complete. The benefits of this method include an accelerated start of construction while the design details and modifications can continue to be added while construction progresses.
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(Left) Mike Baldwin, Washington Group, Construction Manager and Rob Richardson, Washington Group, Project Engineer. (Right) Jack Cowan, Washington Group/Obayashi Corp., a Joint Venture – Deputy Project Manager. |
The 215/60/91 interchange project began in March of 2004 and is located near downtown Riverside. Improvements will include two freeway-to-freeway flyovers, widening of freeway from six to eight lanes, the replacement of four bridges while building seven complete new bridges and widening nine others and the construction of approximately 85 retaining walls. The job was originally scheduled to be completed by early 2007, but may be pushed back a few months due to change orders and modifications.
Washington Group/Obayashi Corp., a Joint Venture, Riverside 215/60/91 interchange project is being led by Sr. Project Manager, Kurt Pegg. Kurt comes from the Washington Group International side of the joint venture and comments, “Washington Obayashi is self-performing the majority of this project (around 58%) while the balance is contracted out to approximately 30 different sub-contractors. In terms of concrete, the schedule calls for around 57,000 cubic meters for the bridges alone with another approximate 25,000 cubic meters being needed for the more than 80 retaining walls being built on this project.” According to Kurt, more than 250,000 cubic yards of concrete will be utilized on roads, bridges and retaining walls before completion. There are four types of retaining walls being constructed on this project with 58 of these being cast-in-place (Caltrans Type 1).
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(Right) Kurt Pegg, Washington Group/ Obayashi Corp., a Joint Venture – Project Manager.. |
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Jack Cowan is the Deputy Project Manager on the 215/60/91 project. He is also a full time Sr. Project Manager for Obayashi Corporation. Jack explains, “Washington Group International was looking for a partner to help with the bonding on this massive project and we are proud to have been chosen as their joint venture partner. The original bid for the Joint Venture portion of the project was at approximately $186 million and after change orders and modifications has grown to around $207 million. The project starts north of the 60/91/215 interchange at Columbia and ends at the Eucalyptus Street overcrossing south of the 215/60 split in Moreno Valley. The project also includes work on SR-91 south of the interchange from Mission Inn Street toward the interchange and a short piece of the SR-60 approaching the interchange from the west and at the 60/215 split. All in all, almost eight miles of roadway will be improved, all adding up to a better transportation system that can save motorists as much as twenty minutes a day in commute time.”
Another major feature of this project that will benefit the public includes a truck by-pass connector that will be constructed at the 60/215 split in Moreno Valley. The new truck-bypass will allow slower truck traffic to travel up Box Springs grade without impeding the vehicular flow of traffic. The two freeway-to-freeway flyovers will help to minimize weaving movements within the 215/60/91 interchange. The present ramp locations are simply too close to the interchange making merging and exiting difficult at certain times of the day. The new flyovers are designed to greatly improve both operational efficiency and safety.
In addition, the widening of the freeway mainline from the 60/91/215 interchange to the 60/215 split will greatly reduce traffic in the mixed-flow lanes. This also includes extending the existing carpool lanes from University Avenue to the 60/215 split. While major improvements will take place on the 215, 60 and 91 freeways, a number of surface street improvements will also be necessary.
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(Above & Below) Concrete Paving the new eastbound SR-91 lanes approaching the 60/91/215 interchange from the south. |
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Both Kurt Pegg and Jack Cowan agree that one of the most challenging aspects of this project has been the building of the flyovers in and around all of the traffic. They work in two shifts performing the paving and forming during the day and the erection and overhead type work at night. Working this way with two crews helps to insure maximum productivity while keeping safety at the forefront.
Washington Group/Obayashi Corp., a Joint Venture relies mainly on a Gomaco 5000 and a Gomaco Comander III to perform the concrete paving tasks. According to the senior project managers, this is not a high production operation with some 2,000 yards of concrete being placed each day. However it is a predominantly self-performing operation with the joint venture taking on all of the major general engineering portions of the project including some of the deepest bridge foundations ever drilled in California. These foundations were poured in order to erect 49 columns for the two flyover bridges. These 100 ft. columns were drilled approximately 130 feet deep and required approximately 500 to 600 yards of concrete per hole. Both Kurt Pegg and Jack Cowan are involved in all aspects of the job from construction to administration and will continue to be so until the job is completed sometime in 2007.
Washington Group International, Inc. is based in Boise, Idaho and provides integrated engineering, construction, and management solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. With approximately 25,000 employees at work in over 40 states and more than 30 countries, the company provides professional, scientific, management, and development services in more than two dozen major markets. For more information, please visit them online at www.wgint.com.
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(Top) Dowel basket assemblies are shown staged next to the concrete mixer truck. (Above) SR-91 foreground, the falsework is for the new, elevated N-215 to W-91 connector. Photo taken from new SR-91 EB lanes, looking toward 60/91/215 interchange. |
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Obayashi Corporation is a large engineering and construction firm, founded in 1892 and still under Obayashi family leadership today. Its world-wide operations, conducted by a workforce of over 10,000 engineers, architects, construction managers and support staff, and field construction personnel, built $11 billion in buildings, highways, rail lines and other infrastructure last year. Obayashi's San Francisco office has responsibility for heavy/civil construction operations throughout the U.S. and manages its participation in this project as well as a dozen other highway, bridge, rail and tunnel projects in California and other states. They are currently building an impressive 900' high concrete arch bridge over the Colorado River, just downstream from Hoover Dam. For more information look online at www.obayashi.co.jp/ or call (650) 952-4910.
