Construction

ACTT Workshop: Wyoming
September 21-22, 2004, DuBois, Wyoming

[Archived] Chapter 4: Conclusions

WYDOT personnel reviewed the recommendations made by the seven skill set teams to assess their feasibility and potential benefits for this project, and during an October 7 ACTT recap meeting and a November 22 scheduling meeting, reached the following conclusions.

Project schedule:

• Brooks Lake section planned to be let in April 2005.
• Buffalo Fork section, plus contracts for timber clearing, crushing, and stockpiling planned to be let in October 2005.
• Fourmile Meadows section planned to be let in October 2006.
• Togwotee Pass section planned to be let in January 2007.
• The planning and design for the Fourmile Meadows and Togwotee Pass sections will continue separately, but with a goal of bundling them into one project for letting early in 2007. Getting geological analysis completed in time to move up the beginning of work on the Togwotee section will be a challenge, due to weather barriers to required testing. Continuing to work on the projects separately will allow WYDOT to go forward with the Fourmile Meadows section as planned, whether or not design of the Togwotee Pass section is completed in time for the 2007 construction season.
• Rosie's Ridge planned to be let in October 2007.

Value engineering studies will be done on:

• The rock cut, tunnel, and bridge options at Sta. 2730+00 on the Togwotee Pass section.
• Staying on existing alignment versus realigning the highway to the north on the Rosie's Ridge section.

4.1 Construction/Materials

• WYDOT will discuss the feasibility of having key design and geology personnel on site during construction.
• Partnering will be mandatory to resolve issues quickly. Methods to speed up availability of shop drawings and other processes will be discussed at preconstruction meetings with contractors.
• Incentives for completing construction early will be included in the contracts, as well as disincentives for failing to meet completion dates.
• Developing snow plans to allow contractors to manage and maximize the construction season will be considered in specific areas.
• District 5 will look into the advantages of strategically placed staging and stockpile areas to have materials on site, advanced crushing for temporary surfacing, and advanced clearing of trees to increase southern exposure and facilitate construction in the spring.
• Letting advanced contracts for rock cuts, slide remediation, and other specialty work will be evaluated as project designs are developed.
• Efforts will be made through planning, design, and contract incentives and disincentives to maintain two-way, two-lane traffic with minimum speed exceptions and to limit stop-hold times to 15 minutes as much as practicable.
• Highway advisory radios will be available to provide real-time communications.
• Snowmobile underpasses and box culverts will be mostly precast. Use of precast and prefabricated materials for bridges will be assessed as part of the normal design process.
• A specification for the brightness and coverage of lighting for night work will be included in the contracts.

4.2 Environment

• Weekly public meetings will be required to update the public on the project. The day and time of the meetings will be determined during the pre-construction conference.
• The Marketing Group will consider an 800 number to provide project information.
• Newsletters will be mailed to property owners within the project area, and to businesses in the neighboring communities.
• District 5 will coordinate with the contractors to provide community appreciation events such as mid-point or completion barbecues.

4.3 Geotechnical/Structures

• WYDOT will look into hiring a consultant for a separate design contract for work on the major slides at MP 9-11.
• The rock cut at Sta. 2730+00, Rosie's Ridge slide areas, other slide areas throughout the corridor, and the Buffalo Fork Bridge approach will be considered for separate contracts.
• Precast elements will be used for all types of structures when applicable.
• Increasing the size of snowmobile underpasses to accommodate wildlife passage is being considered in the design process.

4.4 Innovative Financing/Contracting

• Design of all the sections will be done by WYDOT. If necessary, the design of other projects around the State will be outsourced in order to free any personnel needed to work on this project.
• WYDOT will look into increasing to 70 percent the amount of a project a subcontractor can complete.
• WYDOT will conduct meetings for contractors before the bid letting and before construction.

4.5 Pavements

• Establishing additional staging areas to minimize impacts on pavements and letting two separate crushing and stockpiling contracts, one in conjunction with the first reconstruction contract and the other ahead of the remaining contracts, will be addressed as a "hot spots" issue as the design progresses.
• District 5 will consider the feasibility of including the chip seal for one section in the contract for the next section to be reconstructed.
• The Materials Program will look into the feasibility of using plant-mix base to provide a construction platform.

4.6 Public Relations

• The marketing consultant signed to a contract in October will develop a comprehensive and detailed communications plan.
• The marketing consultant also will develop a comprehensive and detailed marketing plan.
• The Marketing Group will handle the identification of potential and existing user groups.
• District 5 will hire a qualified, professional public information officer to reside and work in the Dubois area during construction.
• WYDOT's Research Advisory Committee will look into extending a University of Wyoming study in progress on the economic impacts of highway construction to include the 287/26 project, in order to provide data to help measure the effectiveness of the marketing plan.

4.7 Traffic/Safety/ITS

• WYDOT will postpone pursuing technical solutions to wildlife movement and crossing issues until the reliability of the technology is proven.
• A motorist information system with pre-travel, key decision points, and construction site elements will be considered and implemented as necessary.
• A project Web site will be created.
• WYDOT will consult with power and telecommunications companies to see if they are interested in partnering with the department in using the project as an opportunity to extend power and communications lines into areas not currently served.
• A motorist assist service with towing and basic motor maintenance functions will be included in the contract specifications.
• Each contractor will handle traffic control for its project and be required to provide a certified traffic control coordinator.
• WYDOT will look into modifying its contract specifications to use "stop-hold" language rather than "delay" language.
• Night work will be considered with extended maximum times for stop-holds or lane closures.