Country’s First Stimulus Project Going Strong In Missouri

The new $8.5-million bridge being built over the Osage River near Tuscumbia, Mo. was the country’s first stimulus-financed project to get under way after President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on Feb. 17.

The new 970-ft-long bridge will take the place of a rickety steel-truss bridge that has stood since 1933 and badly needs replacing.

Working next to the Osage River in central Missouri, a crew from APAC-Kansas construction company sets pre-cast concrete girders for the new bridge that was the first federal stimulus project to get under way. The old deck-truss bridge that it will replace is visible at left. (Photo courtesy of Missouri DOT)

As the stimulus bill was developing, the Missouri Dept. of Transportation (MoDOT) laid the groundwork for several projects, including the bridge near Tuscumbia, Mo., which links two sides of the town of about 220 people in the center of the state. The bridge also carries traffic traveling through the area on State Hwy. 17.

To be ready for a quick start, MoDOT had engineers from Harrington & Cortelyou Inc., Kansas City, Mo., complete the bridge’s design. MoDOT also took care of all the environmental approvals, got bids from contractors, and identified the low bidder.

On Feb. 17, state officials gathered at the bridge and watched a live television feed of President Obama signing the ARRA bill into law. They then awarded APAC-Kansas the construction contract and APAC’s excavating subcontractor sank a backhoe bucket into the ground to begin digging.

MoDOT project manager Jason Vanderfeltz estimates that if the existing 76-year-old bridge were to become unusable, drivers would need to make a 35-mile detour to use the next closest crossing.

The existing bridge has been rated by the state as structurally deficient. Because of its condition, the bridge’s capacity has been limited to 15 tons, according to Vanderfeltz.

Missouri would eventually have replaced the existing bridge, but not for at least a year or more. MoDOT Director Pete Rahn has said that if stimulus money were not available, this project would not be on the current construction plans.

The new bridge, now going up next to the existing bridge, will meet Missouri’s standard load-bearing capacity and will be 28 ft wide–8 ft wider than the existing bridge. That will allow two 11-ft driving lanes and two 3-ft shoulders.

The bridge’s seven spans range from 88 ft to 221 ft in length. The two spans on each end are made of precast concrete girders, while the three long center spans feature girders of welded steel plate. The spans are supported by two abutments and six drilled-shaft piers sitting on bedrock. The bridge deck will be cast-in-place concrete.

Completion is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2010.

MoDOT estimates that construction of the new bridge will support 250 direct and indirect jobs. That number includes jobs in stores, restaurants, motels, and other services and suppliers that will benefit from the project.

Rick Zimmerman, area manager, bridge group, for the project’s general contractor, APAC-Kansas, estimates that an average of 25 to 30 construction workers from his company and subcontractors will be on site daily, though the number will vary depending on the work being done. Nearly all of those workers will be from the area, he says.

Zimmerman notes that APAC-Kansas is currently bidding on three to four more ARRA jobs, averaging $10 million to $15 million each. “We’re now seeing the second wave of ARRA projects that weren’t quite as ready as this job,” he says.

$2.8 Billion Sought for High-Speed Rail from Chicago to Cleveland

Acting on behalf of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, Indiana has requested $2.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to plan, build and launch high-speed rail service from Chicago to Cleveland.

A copy of the application is available on the Indiana Dept. of Transportation (INDOT) Web site at http://indot.IN.gov/3064.htm.

“With the support of our counterparts in Chicago and Ohio, INDOT submitted one application that Indiana believes stands the greatest chance of being approved by the Federal Rail Administration,” said INDOT Commissioner Michael W. Reed.

If the application is approved, initial environmental and feasibility studies would fully consider two routes through Indiana: either a northern route with proposed stops in South Bend, Elkhart and Waterloo or a southern route with proposed stops in Plymouth, Warsaw and Fort Wayne. Both routes would also include a proposed stop near Gary.

ARRA provides an $8-billion initial investment in high-speed intercity passenger rail, followed by an additional $1 billion a year for five years. In August, INDOT requested $71.4 million in final design and construction funds to improve the congested Norfolk Southern rail line that connects Chicago to Detroit through northwest Indiana.

The Federal Rail Administration plans to announce grant awards this winter.

Indiana is one of nine states in the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, an effort to develop an improved passenger rail system in the Midwest. Its other participating states are Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Pilot Projects will Test National Rating System for Sustainable Landscapes

The Sustainable Sites Initiative that it is seeking pilot projects to test the first national rating system for sustainable landscapes.

The Initiative is a partnership between the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden to create guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable landscapes, with or without buildings.

The Initiative is accepting applications until February 15, 2010, in conjunction with the release of the next report and new rating system.

Any designed landscape over 2,000 sq ft is eligible, ranging from academic and corporate campuses, to parks and recreation areas, transportation corridors and single residences.

Participation fees may run between $500 to $5,000, depending on project size. About 75 to 150 projects will be selected to take part in the rating-system test.

The U.S. Green Building Council, a stakeholder in the initiative, anticipates incorporating the Sustainable Sites guidelines and performance benchmarks into future versions of its LEED Green Building Rating System.

More information is available at www.sustainablesites.org.

Cemstone Chosen for Expansion of Project Green Fleet Program

Cemstone, Mendota Heights, Minn., an Upper Midwest provider of aggregates, decorative concrete and masonry products, has been selected by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) and its Project Green Fleet program to upgrade 21 vehicles in its ready-mix concrete truck fleet.

When retrofitting is completed in January 2010, the vehicles will have diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) or diesel multi-stage filters that are expected to reduce engine emissions by up to 50%.

Cemstone has been selected by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative and its Project Green Fleet program to upgrade 21 vehicles in its ready-mix concrete truck fleet. (Photo courtesy of Cemstone)

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to participate in this expansion of Project Green Fleet, as the program provides vital assistance to reduce the emissions of our concrete mixer truck fleet,” said Tim Becken, executive vice president of operations for Cemstone. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $3-million federal stimulus grant to MEI to fund Project Green Fleet initiatives throughout the state. MEI estimates that diesel vehicles account for 50% of all traffic-generated air pollution in Minnesota.

This past summer, five Cemstone ready-mix concrete trucks were fitted with special diesel emissions filters. Project Green Fleet covers the cost of installer training, installation and diesel-emission reduction equipment. All the upgraded trucks involved in the Cemstone fleet will be located in the Minneapolis metro area. To qualify, the trucks must remain in service for the next 5-7 years or longer.