Article Contributed on: 8/21/2008 10:51:58 AM
WELCOME
Construction on the West Corridor has moved to Denver
with the start of work in the Lakewood Dry Gulch area.
As the project builds, we encourage you to keep informed
by becoming a subscriber to our e-newsletter, visiting the
West Corridor Web site often and utilizing the tools that
have been established to keep you updated on progress
and impacts. To get the latest information on
construction, road closures and final design please go to the West Corridor Web site at www.rtd-fastracks.com/west.
August 2008
In this issue you will find:
1. Construction update on the Kipling Bridge - Find out what happens next at Kipling Street
2. Construction update on the Lakewood Dry Gulch - Get the latest information on activities in Denver
3. Dry Gulch Disc Golf Park - Find out why the Discn Golf Course will be closed during construction of the West Corridor
4. Mock Noise Wall - Get a feel for what noise walls will look like in your neighborhood
5. Design team - Learn more about the design team as drawings near the 100% completion stage
6. Denver Transit Construction Group - Meet the Deputy Project Manager/Construction Manager
7. Project Safety Spotlight - Learn some job safetyv precautions that will be in place during construction
8. How Can I Get (or Stay) Involved? - Find out where to get more information on meetings and events, and the best ways to have your questions answered
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Kipling Bridge
The concrete bridge deck on the Kipling Street Bridge has been poured and crews will start winding down construction activities on the bridge soon. Edward
Kraemer and Son's subcontractors are in the process of installing electrical requirements and the bridge railings and fencing. Activity at Kipling Street will continue through the end of August, but impacts should be minimal. Intermittent lane closures may occur Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
You may have noticed that the approach walls to the bridge aren't built yet. They will be constructed as part of a separate construction package later this year or early in 2009.
Gulch Bridges
Activity in the Lakewood Dry Gulch area has increased as crews mobilize the area for placement of three pedestrian bridges and two light rail bridges. Structural grading is underway, as crews prepare to replace the two train bridges with light rail bridges. Edward Kraemer and Sons will be doing the work on the light rail bridges. The Dry Gulch East light rail bridge will be installed first, with the
Dry Gulch West light rail bridge following close behind.
Meza Construction has begun early activity to clear out the areas around Wolff Street and Hazel Court in anticipation of pedestrian bridge construction. These
bridges will be pre-fabricated off site and placed over the gulch within the next month. Once the bridges are in place, crews will pour the concrete decks. The Tennyson Street pedestrian bridge will be the final bridge to be built
as part of these current activities. Activities in the Gulch area will have little impact on local residents, other than increased construction vehicle traffic.
DISC GOLF PARK CLOSURE
In a joint determination between RTD and the City and County of Denver, the Paco Disc Golf Park in the Lakewood Dry Gulch has been closed for the duration of
construction. The course has been closed to ensure the safety of the public and to protect this environmental district. Equipment and materials will be moving up and down the gulch along the trails during construction, which creates an unsafe environment for pedestrians. Players on the course are often in the gulch and along the banks and therefore present a risk to overall project safety. Protection of the wetlands is a high priority as well, and these areas will be fenced off and protected throughout construction. While there are times over the next few
years that the area would be safe to play in, it was also determined that opening and closing the course repeatedly would create more confusion than the full
project closure. As soon as construction in the gulch area is complete, the course will be reopened.
MOCK NOISE WALL
A mock noise has been built on the northeast corner of 13th Avenue and Reed Street so residents on the corridor can visualize what the walls will look like. While the mock-up wall is constructed of wood, the color and size will be very similar to the actual noise walls that will be used along 13th Avenue in certain locations.
The mock noise wall will be 100 feet long by 8 feet high, representing a 6 foot noise wall on top of a 2 foot ballast wall. The ballast wall can vary in size from 1 to 4 feet. The wall will be in place for a few weeks so weencourage you to drive by and take a look at it.
DESIGN TEAM
Design Team Sub-consultants
In the last issue we highlighted David Evans and Associates, the design firm for the West Corridor. The overall design team is comprised of a number of subconsultants who perform specific tasks to bring the design to completion. We have added a page on the Web site that details each of these firms and we thank
them for their diligence and professionalism over the past two and a half years. .
Major Sub-consultants
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig - Bridges
Harris, Kocher, Smith - Surveying, sewer and water
utilities
HDR - Bridges
IBI - Architecture
Muller Engineering Company, Inc.- Storm drainage
Supporting
Geocal, Inc. - Geotechnical
Hartwig & Associates, Inc. - Bridges
Interactive Elements Incorporated - Safety and security
KM Chng Environmental Inc. - Noise and vibration
Lyman Henn, Inc. - Geotechnical
Ordonez and Vogelsang, LLC - Interagency coordination
PKM Design Group, Inc. - Landscape architecture
PRACO, Ltd. - Community involvement
Seaborn Engineering P.C. - Quality control/quality
assurance
Triunity King Joint Venture - Mechanical, electrical,
plumbing
DENVER TRANSIT CONSTRUCTION GROUP (DTCG)
This month's spotlight features Terry Martin. Terry is the Deputy Project Manager and Construction Manager for the West Corridor construction project, representing Denver Transit Construction Group. He comes to Denver from Orange
County, California where he worked for Granite Construction for twelve years. His last project at Granitewas the SR-22 Design-Build Freeway. Terry was the Project Manager on this job which included a 12-mile, multi-lane addition featuring 33 bridges, three freeway interchanges, 54 ramp reconstructions and 55,000
square miles of retaining walls. With a special skill in project management, Terry successfully delivered the first phase of this project in an unprecedented 800 days.
Terry's vast experience on transportation projects includes the Seattle Monorail Project, the US 60 designbuild highway in Phoenix, Arizona and the I-15
reconstruction in Salt Lake City. His attention to operation scheduling and planning has helped decrease construction timetables on several projects, and his delivery of the US 60 Highway project in Phoenix four months ahead of a 24-month schedule was recognized with four industry awards, including the prestigious
Marvin M. Black "Excellence in Partnering" award.
Terry received a BS in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, conferred with distinction, and he holds a Masters degree in Construction Engineering and
Management, also from Stanford University. He has been married for 23 years to his wife, Julie, and has two children.
PROJECT SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
Electrical
The use of electrical hardware and equipment on the jobsite can be extremely dangerous. In order to ensure the safety of all personnel, certain precautions and
procedures will be obligatory during construction of the West Corridor. As is the case on any construction project, all electrical and mechanical systems are considered live and energized. Therefore, 100% "ground fault circuit interrupter protection" and industrial heavy weight cords with proper grounds will be used at all times for temporary and permanent power usages. Denver Transit Construction Group's Safety team will do daily inspections of these cords and welding leads. Should they find any damage to these cords or leads, they will be repaired immediately or removed from the job site. Where feasible, cords and leads will be elevated above all main walkways. Crews will not be permitted to work on live/energized electrical panels or systems without first obtaining a "Hot Work" permit from Denver Transit Construction Group. Safety meetings addressing these issues are conducted daily and attendance is mandatory. Look for other project safety topics in future newsletters.
HOW CAN I GET (OR STAY) INVOLVED?
One of the best ways to get information to help you stay involved in the West Corridor construction phase is to ensure we have your e-mail address. Our periodic emails will provide you with information essential to keep you up to date on construction impacts. As the project evolves, it will be very important to keep all members of the community updated on construction activities. Tell your friends and neighbors to sign up on our e-mail list to receive up-to-date information, and if your e-mail address changes, please notify us. Don't forget to visit our Web site where you'll find all the latest information about the West Corridor.
Where Can I Get More Information?
Web site: www.RTD-FasTracks.com
E Mail: WestCorridor@RTD-FasTracks.com
Phone: Kathy Berumen, 303-299-2175
Brenda Tierney, 303-299-2401
Mail: RTD West Corridor
1560 Broadway #700
Denver, CO 80202