S.R. 0070, Section T20 Engineering District 12-0 ASHE National Project of the Year Award
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERS National Project of the Year Award OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM AWARD CATEGORY (Check One): Under $20 Million X Over $20 Million SPONSORING REGION (Check One): X Northeast Mid-Atlantic Southeast Great Lakes North Central South Central Northwest Rocky Mountain Southwest CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SPONSORING REGION: Primary Contact Name: Richard Cochrane, PE ASHE Region Position: Secretary, Northeast Region Phone (Office): 610.841.2700 Phone (Mobile): 484.225.4358 E-Mail Address: rcochrane@mctish.com Secondary Contact Name: Scott Eshenaur ASHE Region Position: NPAC Chairperson Phone (Office): 717.790.9565 Phone (Mobile): 717.580.8426 E-Mail Address: sreshenaur@modjeski.com PROJECT INFORMATION (From Section Entry): ENTERING AGENCY/COMPANY S NAME: Gannett Fleming, Inc. PROJECT NAME: S.R. 0070, Section T20 (I-79 N.J. to S.R. 136) TYPE: Highway Construction PROJECT LOCATION: South Strabane Township, Pennsylvania CITY: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania COUNTY: Washington County, Pennsylvania CONSTRUCTION COST: $49,135,000 BUDGETED CONSTRUCTION COST: $51,268,386 PROJECT COMPLETION DATE: January 21, 2018 PROJECT OWNER: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Engineering District 12-0 STREET ADDRESS: 825 North Gallatin Avenue Ext. CITY: Uniontown STATE: Pennsylvania ZIP: 15401-2105 PHONE: 724.439.7336 FAX: 724.439.2331 CONTACT PERSON: E-MAIL ADDRESS: Barry Lyons, PE blyons@pa.gov PROJECT DESIGN FIRM: Gannett Fleming, Inc. STREET ADDRESS: Foster Plaza 8, Suite 400, 730 Holiday Drive CITY: Pittsburgh STATE: Pennsylvania ZIP: 15220 PHONE: 412.922.5575, x5320 FAX: 412.922.3717 CONTACT PERSON: David Kozel, PE E-MAIL ADDRESS: dkozel@gfnet.com PRIME CONTRACTOR: Golden Triangle Construction Company STREET ADDRESS: 8555 Old Steubenville Pike CITY: Imperial STATE: Pennsylvania ZIP: 15216 PHONE: 724.828.2800 FAX: 724.828.2828 CONTACT PERSON: E-MAIL ADDRESS: Eric Klimas, PE eklimas@gtcpgh.com Entry Form Completed By: David Kozel, PE Date: January 29, 2018
1 S.R. 0070, Section T20 Award Category: Greater than $20,000,000 Focused on increasing safety and mobility throughout the Interstate 70 (I 70) corridor, Section T20 improvements involved reconstructing and widening nearly 1.5 miles of I 70 between I 79 North Junction and S.R. 136 (Beau Street) and reconfiguring the interchange between I 70 and Route 19. The existing substandard cloverleaf interchange at the Route 19 Murtland Avenue was replaced with a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI), the first in Pennsylvania. Photo 1 Aerial view of the completed DDI. In addition, I 70 was widened to add a third lane in each direction for additional capacity. Between the Route 19 interchange and Route 136 interchange, I 70 was widened to four lanes in each direction for auxiliary lanes between the ramps. I 70 and Route 19 combine to average 98,000 vehicles per day. As the result of adding a third lane westbound on I 70 and widening of the I 79 northbound ramp, a major fork condition was formed, creating a new decision lane for motorists. The new lane increases safety by providing an easier turn across traffic. COMPLEXITY When the DDI concept was selected, there were minimal design guidelines available and DDI examples were limited. Designs also were based on relatively flat grades and tangent alignments. The Route 19 DDI was in a reverse horizontal curve condition, residing on an upgrade ranging from 3 to 5 percent, with a vertical crest curve just north of I 70. To address this challenge, the project team designed Route 19 on a plane and provided 2 percent superelevation. The design also required adequate drainage with a 2 percent minimum slope in any direction to avoid stormwater ponding on the travel lanes. In September 2016, the DDI temporary traffic pattern was implemented enabling final completion, including shoulder areas, curbed islands, and ramp islands. This required permanent signalization to be operational and placement of temporary signing and pavement markings. To maintain two lanes of traffic on I 70 and Route 19 during peak periods from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, an extensive traffic control plan was developed and implemented throughout three years of construction. Staging was further complicated by the need to maintain access at the interchanges, requiring temporary ramps and cross overs. The plan required 12 foot lane widths on I 70, except over existing bridges, to account for heavy truck traffic. Stage 1 (2015 2017): Construction of Route 19 and the DDI, containing six sub stages. This staging allowed ramp construction to occur while the connections between I 70 and Route 19 remained accessible. Stage 2 (2015): Focused on the eastbound side of I 70 with five sub stages. The eastbound traffic was split with one lane crossing over to the westbound side to maintain traffic. When the eastbound bridge over Route 19 was redecked, a second cross over was implemented to place all four I 70 travel lanes on the westbound bridge over Route 19.
2 S.R. 0070, Section T20 Award Category: Greater than $20,000,000 Stage 3 (2016): Construction of the westbound side, containing three sub stages, with traffic shifted to the completed eastbound side. This allowed the contractor to work on the entire westbound side, including the bridges. Three temporary interchange configurations, with temporary ramps and signals, were implemented to maintain access between I 70 and Route 19. A trumpet interchange used existing ramps on the west side of Route 19, allowing construction of new ramps on the eastern side of Route 19. The second temporary configuration reverted to the cloverleaf while constructing the middle portion of Route 19. The third involved implementing a long term temporary diamond configuration to complete Route 19 and the remaining ramps. The existing dual three span bridges over Route 19 remained in place. To extend serviceable life, the bridges were redecked and a new barrier was Photo 4 View of reconstructed I 70 looking added, meeting interstate requirements. To address its east toward Route 19. substandard vertical clearance of 14 feet, 2 inches, the westbound bridge was raised to achieve a vertical clearance of 16 feet, 6 inches. During construction, the existing steel beams were removed and repainted, eliminating jacking and temporary support needs. In addition to complex traffic sequencing, DDI innovation, and right of way accommodations, Section T20 featured a range of design elements: point of access study utility relocations DDI design collaboration highway lighting and two new traffic signals structure design five adjacent traffic signal upgrades signing and pavement markings intelligent transportation system relocation erosion and sediment pollution control geotechnical investigations stormwater management environmental clearance roadway drainage noise investigation and agency permitting. NEW APPLICATIONS OF EXISTING TECHNIQUES/ORIGINALITY/INNOVATION Constructed in 1960, functionally obsolete, and surrounded by commercial development, the original Route 19 interchange was a substandard cloverleaf interchange that could not be upgraded without incurring significant commercial property impacts. The current average daily traffic counts are 70,000 for I 70, including heavy truck traffic, and 28,000 for Route 19. To improve safety and minimize traffic impacts, the DDI was designed and constructed as an innovative application of existing techniques, resulting in a first in state engineering feat. The project was made possible by a collaborative effort between PennDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the design team, and the contractor.
3 S.R. 0070, Section T20 Award Category: Greater than $20,000,000 Photo 2 Southern DDI intersection crossovers and islands. The DDI features three main advantages compared to a standard diamond interchange: 1. Traffic on Route 19 crosses over to the opposite side of the roadway, improving traffic flow. 2. Left turn movements from Route 19 to the I 70 entrance ramps are free flowing; eliminating the need to cross opposing travel lanes and reducing traffic platooning at the entrance ramps. This eliminated the need for dual left turn lanes to entrance ramps. 3. When turning left from the I 70 exit ramps, the need to cross lanes was eliminated, providing better access to Route 19. In addition to curbed islands, signals, signing, and markings to guide traffic and provide a safer environment, the DDI: Is expected to reduce the number of traffic conflict points from 26 to 14, when compared to a standard diamond interchange. Saved millions by avoiding replacement of Route 19 s dual bridges. Enabled the majority of DDI construction to occur within existing interchange right of way. Allowed traffic flow during construction, keeping businesses accessible without detours. Only required two phase traffic signals at the ramp intersections, compared to conventional signal phasing configurations. Photo 3 DDI crosses Route 19 traffic to the left side of the roadway. SOCIAL/ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS The project eliminated a substandard condition and increased capacity, resulting in a safer and more efficient interstate for the public. During design development, a primary goal was to minimize right of way impacts. Reconstructing the cloverleaf interchange to meet current standards would have resulted in significant commercial property impact and excessive costs. To minimize impacts, the I 70 widening extended into the existing median and the DDI layout was primarily contained within the existing interchange footprint. The project also utilized concrete barriers at the outside shoulder instead of full swales to reduce disturbance. Businesses were not displaced as a result of this collaborative effort, and strip takes on only eight parcels were required. To improve public perception and engagement, Gannett Fleming developed a DDI brochure for distribution and an informational video presented during public meetings. The video includes windshield view animations, clearly explaining how the DDI works and its associated benefits. These are available on the project website (http://www.i 70projects.com/I 70andI 79NorthJunction.html).
4 S.R. 0070, Section T20 Award Category: Greater than $20,000,000 SAFETY With improved connections between I 70 and Route 19, Section T20 begins the process of widening I 70 for 3.5 miles from two to three lanes in each direction between the I 79 North and South Junctions. The additional lane provides extra capacity and safety while commuting through the corridor. South Strabane Township reported that only one crash occurred in the interchange since the DDI implementation in September 2016. The original cloverleaf interchange averaged 20 crashes per year. AESTHETICS AND SUSTAINABLE FEATURES Photo 5 Ramp islands with colored concrete, walkway, and decorative stone. The project implemented walkways and colored concrete in the ramp intersection island areas to match the repainted I 70 bridge beams over Route 19. A large portion of the ramp island areas included decorative stone, reducing the impervious area and improving aesthetics. New pavement and drainage systems also minimized required maintenance and increased roadway system longevity. MEETING AND EXCEEDING OWNER/CLIENT NEEDS The DDI implementation and I 70 widening met the needs of the client, minimizing impacts to adjacent properties and reducing project costs, as it did not require bridge replacements along I 70. Featuring a first in state DDI accomplishment, I 70 reconstruction and widening supports PennDOT s longterm mission to update a deteriorating interstate system, improve safety, and minimize motorist impacts. It also moves PennDOT one step closer to completing a 40 mile reconstruction of aging I 70 between Washington and New Stanton. "As we maintain and upgrade our infrastructure across the state, we continually look for opportunities to put improved practices to work," said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards. "This project brings together sorely needed improvements to safety and traffic movement alike." OTHER RECOGNITION No. 7 Road, 2017, Roads & Bridges Top 10 Roads Excellence in Concrete Award, 2017, Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association Diamond Certificate Award, 2017, ACEC Pennsylvania Section Civil Engineering Achievement Award, 2017, ASCE Pittsburgh Section COMMITMENT At least one representative will attend the ASHE awards presentation.
Photo 1: Seen here, I-70 and Route 19 interchange looking north. The project s Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) solution emerged as the leading design innovation and the rst DDI constructed in enns lvania, ene tting the travelling pu lic in ashington ount. It reduces tra c con ict points, saved ta -pa er mone avoiding dual I-70 mainline ridge replacement over Route 19, and avoided the need for Route 19 dual left-turn lanes onto the I-70 entrance ramps. It also minimized commercial right-of-wa impacts and allowed tra c to ow during construction.
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Photo 4: The aerial view of reconstructed I-70 looking east toward the Route 19 DDI. For the construction phase, two lanes of tra c on oth I-70 and Route 19 were maintained etween 00 pm and 00 am am dail through an e tensive tra c control plan. Staging was further complicated the need to maintain access at the interchanges, re uiring temporar ramps and cross-overs. The tra c control also re uired 1 -foot lane widths, e cept over e isting ridges, to account for heav truck tra c on I-70.
Photo 5: cohesiveness.
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