Heavy Loads
Increased traffic necessitates intersection re-design

A traffic count of up to 9,000 vehicles a day, including a large number of heavy trucks during peak travel times, necessitated the redesign of a major intersection in Fort Payne, Ala.

Tomlin Construction of Gordo, Ala., is overseeing asphalt, road and bridge work as part of the redesign of an Interstate 59 interchange in Fort Payne, Ala.

The project requires the relocation of one of the most heavily traveled roads in the Fort Payne, Ala., area, 49th Street from Gault Avenue to U.S. Highway 11.

The project requires the relocation of one of the most heavily traveled roads in the area, 49th Street from Gault Avenue to U.S. Highway 11.

Increased traffic from Gault Avenue - up to 9,000 vehicles a day including a large number of heavy trucks during peak travel times - necessitated the redesign of the intersection, says project manager Bejan Taheri with the Alabama Department of Transportation.

“Although the economy has caused the surrounding industries to cut back somewhat since the project began, the redesign of the intersection will still be beneficial for the area,” Taheri says.

The project includes five-laning a part of US Highway 11 for 1,500 ft on the north side of Fort Payne where it connects to Exit 222, as well as widening the bridge over I-59 and the interchange ramps east of I-59 to where US 11 parallels the railroad through Fort Payne.

“The largest part of this project is taking place on the east side of I-59,” says Justin Evers, Tomlin’s estimator and engineer on the project. “We are building four ramps, two on the east side and two on the west side of I-59, in addition to building a bridge across Big Wills Creek.”

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Tomlin Construction is handling the grading, clearing, the addition of storm drainage and sewers, and the construction of the culverts and bridges. Evers says Tomlin crews have moved approximately 1 million yds of dirt, a combination of borrow and unclassified.

The pipes were being laid for drainage at the same time the bridges were being built, he adds.

“At present, we are completing the grading of US 11 and working on the drainage structures on Gault Avenue,” Evers says. “There is a hold up due to the utilities - some of the utilities have been relocated but they aren’t through with the relocation yet.”

Erosion control has also been a high priority on the job.

“We have added temporary grass at different stages to keep the onsite sediment from leaving the project,” he says. “We don’t want the dirt from our job to leave our job.”

A total of 50,000 tons of asphalt will be required for the Fort Payne project. Jackson Paving and Construction of Guntersville, Ala., is handling the asphalt paving phase.

Jackson Paving and Construction of Guntersville, Ala., is handling the asphalt paving portion of the project. Company spokesman Ron Jackson says a total of 50,000 tons of asphalt will be required.

Rebecca Cash, Jackson quality control manager, says the contractor is using a 424 Superpave asphalt mix, per ALDOT requirements.

New technologies and revised building standards have made quality asphalt testing and inspection an integral part of construction projects.

Cash’s responsibilities include pulling a sample of the asphalt mix off the truck and sending it to the lab for testing purposes. Once the mix is shipped to the road, it is retested in the field to ensure perfect quality control.

“The difference between each asphalt mix is the control testing in the lab that sets the standards for the field testing,” she says. “Several years ago we used the Marshall Method mix, which uses a Marshall hammer to compact the pills used to measure the density. With the 424 mix, we use a gyratory compactor with kneading action.

The project is currently 60 percent complete, with construction beginning in June 2008 and a projected completion date of June 2010.

“We have been using 424 Superpave asphalt for about eight years now, and during that time the mix has gone through several changes and now it’s perfected,” Cash adds. “ALDOT predominantly uses the 424 mix on all their projects now. We have been very satisfied with its performance.”

Tahere says the project is currently 60 percent complete, with construction beginning in June 2008 and a projected completion date of June 2010.