Financing a massive highway project exclusively with toll dollars, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission widened a busy seven-mile section of I-76 and I-276 just north of Philadelphia from four to six lanes. The Commission turned to BH to provide complete construction management and construction inspection services for the project, which involved full depth roadway widening and total reconstruction of the roadway and replacement of 9 of the 13 overpasses and bridges between the Valley Forge and Norristown Interchanges.
The $220 million project presented many challenges, since this section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike passes through a heavily congested area laced with commercial and residential properties, restricting contractor access, work zones, and hours.
The agreement included services during the design and construction phases of the widening and reconstruction project. The design phase included tasks related to design constructability, biddability reviews, project schedule development, meeting attendance, and bid packaging. The project was 7.4 miles long with a construction cost of $220 million.
The construction phase involved construction inspection, management and administration, scheduling, survey support, and documentation services for the roadway and all structures, including overpasses, turnpike bridges, retaining walls, culverts, noise walls, and overhead signage.
The construction projects included: 9 bridge replacements, 5 box culvert rehabilitations and extensions, 7 noise walls, 16 retaining walls of various types, installation of several overhead and cantilever monotube sign structures, construction of a wetland mitigation site and several detention basins, installation of new drainage systems, installation of conduit for the Turnpike’s Intelligent Transportation System, closed-circuit television installation, traffic light signalization on State Routes, reconstruction of the Valley Forge Interchange, and highway lighting system improvements at the Valley Forge and Norristown Interchanges.
In addition to managing more than 50 construction inspectors and several other consulting firms on the project, BH assisted the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in reducing costs through expediting project completion.
Transportation
