USH 41, Mason Street/STH 54 Interchange, Green Bay, WI
Wisconsin Department of Transportation / Green Bay, WI
Date Completed:
July 2012
Services:
Concrete Pavement, Earthwork & Grading
Design Engineer:
Kapur and Associates
Construction Engineer:
OTIE, Inc.
Award Won:
2013 / 24th Annual ACPA Excellence in Concrete Pavement Awards
Project Summary:
This highly complex, $30 million reconstruction project was completed earl with a high quality of workmanship and under the constraints of a very aggressive schedule.
Contract Amount:
$29,600,000
Project Length:
2 Miles
By the Numbers:
- 111,000 SY of 10.5-inch Concrete Pavement
- 66,600 SY of Removing Pavement
- 95,700 CY of Common Excavation
- 59,820 CY of Borrow
- 61.500 Tons of Base Aggregate
- 6,100 LF of Concrete Barrier Wall
About the Project
The $30 million reconstruction of one mile of USH 41 at the interchange with STH 54/Mason Street in Green Bay, Wisconsin also included the reconstruction of all the ramps and one mile of STH 54/Mason Street.
The two signalized ramp terminals and the signalized intersection of Mason Street and Taylor Street were reconstructed into multi-lane roundabouts. USH 41 was widened from four lanes to six and two collector/distributor lanes were added, both northbound and southbound. The bridge carrying STH 54 over USH 41 was reconstructed, as well as the ones carrying northbound and southbound USH 41 over Ninth Street, and a two cell box culvert under USH 41. Ten retaining walls and ten sign bridges were constructed.
All the structures included community sensitive design (CSD) elements that significantly enhance the interchange. WisDOT required a very aggressive schedule on the project. The let schedule called for mainline STH 54, including the bridge over USH 41,to be closed for only six months; from February 1st to August 1st, 2012.
Also, mainline USH 41 had to be completed during the same time frame to open the interchange. This was necessary to keep adjacent corridor projects on schedule, to minimize the disturbance to traffic on STH 54, a major commercial artery in western Brown County, and to open the interchange to traffic prior to the start of the Green Bay Packers preseason games. To meet this aggressive schedule, Vinton mobilized "extraordinary forces" as advised in the Special Provisions. Additionally, Vinton working in conjunction with the Department, altered the original staging by completing substantial portions of grading and mainline paving on northbound USH 41 in the fall of 2011,instead of 2012.
The entire project, STH 54 and USH 41 mainline, was opened to traffic five days early, and Vinton opened the roundabout at the intersection of Mason Street and Taylor Street one month early. While achieving these impressive schedule milestones, Vinton maintained a high quality of workmanship and ride performance, both in slipform operations and the large amount of handwork necessary to pave the three roundabouts.
Vinton worked closely with the business owners and residents along the project to minimize impacts to their access. Vinton successfully met all the material requirements, including the rigorous constraints of the High Performance Concrete Special Provision deployed on the USH 41 corridor.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the city of Green Bay have a revitalized corridor which will serve the needs of the traveling public for many years to come thanks to the commitment made by all parties involved and the use of concrete pavement.
Noteworthy Project Details
- Traffic on USH 41 was maintained in four lanes throughout the duration of the project. Lane closures were only allowed at nights, affecting the contractor's ability to perform the many aspects of the project. All four lanes were shifted onto southbound USH 41 while the northbound lanes were constructed. Then all four lanes were shifted onto the new northbound USH 41 while the southbound lanes were constructed. STH 54 was closed for the duration of the project with a signed detour in place.
- The let schedule called for mainline STH 54, including the bridge over USH 41, to be closed for only six months; from February 1st to August 1st, 2012. Also, mainline USH 41 had to be completed during the same time frame to open the interchange. This was necessary to keep adjacent corridor projects on schedule, to minimize the disturbance to traffic on STH 54, a major commercial artery in western Brown County, and to open the interchange to traffic prior to the start of the Green Bay Packers preseason games.
- The project included several special material requirements to meet the USH 41 corridor requirements for High Performance Concrete. These special material requirements included tighter tolerances on aggregate quality; 100% crushed course aggregate; lower w/cm; additional strength testing required - beams and tensile tests; reduced delivery times; reduced cure times; PAMS cure only; self-propelled tining only; no incentive for strength - only dis-incentive; removal and replacement required at 3,000 psi; temperature restrictions; and temperature control plan requirements.
- Exceptional pavement smoothness was achieved in both slip-formed and hand poured concrete pavement. The key factor was the high level of competency, professionalism, and experience on the part of their paving crews. Vinton's attention to detail, from the foremen, operators, finishers, and laborers, resulted in a consistently smooth, well finished product.
- Vinton went to great lengths to recycle the existing material onsite and incorporated it into the project. Using a mobile crushing and screening plant, virtually all the exisitng concrete and aphalt pavement within the project limits were recycled to create most of the breaker run and dense graded base aggregate.
- Vinton utilized their brand new zero clearance paver, the Gomaco 2400. Although designed for barrier wall slip forming, Vinton modified it to pave the 6.75' wide portion of the median shoulder of USH 41. During the paving of northbound USH 41,the large grade differential between the new lanes and the existing lanes left almost no room for a paving track between them. During paving of the southbound lanes, the 3 feet between the two shoulders would have been a tight fit for a normal paver. The use of the zero clearance Gomaco 2400 allowed Vinton to pave these areas quickly and easily without concern for paver track clearances.