Wadsworth Bros. Building Colorado River Bridge in Moab

$38.5 million concrete segmental bridge project will mark the first of its kind ever to be constructed in Utah. Project is slated for completion in November 2010 and will carry traffic on U.S. Hwy 191 over the Colorado River.

Draper, Utah-based Wadsworth Brothers Construction recently began work on the Colorado River Bridge project in Moab, Utah, the first concrete segmental bridge project ever to be built in the state, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. The $38.5 million project will eventually be utilized by U.S. Hwy 191 traffic over the Colorado River, and is expected to take approximately 20 months to build.

Wadsworth Bros. Construction is building the $38.5 million Colorado River Bridge in Moab, the first concrete segmental bridge project ever in Utah. (Rendering courtesy UDOT)

“We think it’s one of a handful of significant bridge projects that have come out in this state,” says Guy Wadsworth, president of WBC. “We built the only cable-stay bridge, the only arch bridge, and felt like we had to build this. When you’ve done (bridge construction) as long as I have, you like to do something different. It’s an important job for us. We’re a progressive company and we want to stay at the top of the game.”

Innovative construction methods should lead to completion of the bridge in under two years, lessening the impact to the community and helping to hold down material costs.

Traffic over the current bridge will continue to flow with minimal restriction as workers build the structure ‘off-line’ from the highway system. Travelers will see increased truck activity as equipment is moved into the construction area.

The project will improve safety and functionality for motorists. It will also include tie-ins for local bike and pedestrian trails along a new retaining wall and some lane modifications. The new structure is projected to meet traffic demands through the year 2035.

H.W. Lochner, Inc.’s Salt Lake office engineered the roadway design, while FIGG of Denver is the bridge designer.

SL Co. Public Works Building Will Seek LEED Gold Rating

A new Salt Lake County Public Works Administration Building is under construction in Midvale, Utah by R&O Construction Co. of Ogden. Energy efficiency is a major priority on this 22,805-sq-ft project, which will seek LEED Gold certification.

Some of the energy efficient/green components of the building will include concrete walls, recycled concrete countertops, the use of reclaimed trestle wood, bamboo floors and ceilings and solar panels. The building is scheduled for completion in December 2009.

UDOT to Issue RFQ for $1.725 B I-15 CORE Project

The Utah Department of Transportation will offer a free informational Webinar to detail its Utah County I-15 Corridor Expansion (I-15 CORE) design-build project in advance of the release of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ). UDOT will broadcast the live Webinar from Sandy, Utah on April 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (MST) and post the RFQ on its Web site later that day.

The Webinar will offer information about the $1.725 billion project including goals, scope, construction budget and the procurement process. The interactive meeting will also provide an opportunity for potential bidders to ask questions. Guests are welcome to attend the Webinar broadcast online or in person at the Salt Lake Community College Miller Auditorium, 9750 South 300 West, Sandy, Utah.

To access the live Webinar online, visit http://connect.udot.utah.gov/i15coreoutreach/. For information on Webinar logistics, call (888) I15-CORE or e-mail i15core@utah.gov. For more information on the I-15 CORE project or to order a DVD of preliminary design information, please visit www.i15CORE.utah.gov.

Noland & Son Nearing Completion on Zone 6 Pipeline

Noland & Son of West Jordan, Utah, is currently constructing the Zone 6 Pipeline and Zone 5 Pressure Reducing Station on Bacchus Highway, US-111, in West Jordan.

The $1.05 million project is 14,000 ft in length, including 7,000 ft of 20-in.-diameter concrete pipe and 7,000 ft of 16-in.-diameter concrete pipe. A pressure-reducing valve is also part of the project.

The project, designed by URS of Salt Lake City, is slated for completion in April. McIntyre & Sons of Riverton, Utah, is also working on the project.

New Ogden’s Flooring Project Underway in St. George (w/ rendering)
CUT: A new Steve Ogden’s Flooring & Design is being constructed in St. George, Utah.

Gary H. Peterson and Co. of St. George, Utah is currently constructing the new location of the Steve Ogden’s Flooring & Design in St. George. The $1.5 million, 2-story project will be 13,071 sq ft, with an office and storage room on the top level and an 8,000-sq-ft showroom on the main level. An iron rail stairway highlights the interior, in addition to a nice assortment of tile, carpet and burned-in stained concrete. Studio 8 Inc. of Salt Lake is the architect on the project, which is slated for completion in May.

CUWCD Gets $50 M in Stimulus Funds for Projects

The Central Utah Water Conservancy District in Utah County is expected to get $50 million in federal stimulus money which is expected to go towards a major pipeline project and environmental mitigation improvements.

More than $40 million of the money will be used on four miles of pipeline which will funnel water through Spanish Fork Canyon to Utah and Salt Lake Counties. The overall Utah Lake project is expected to cost upwards of $400 million total until an estimated completion in 2021.

The rest of the $9 million or so will go to Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission. A fish hatchery for the Ute Indian Tribe is a major project expected to be built from this money.

Women Overseeing Franklin Bridge Project in Boise

Franklin Bridge in Boise may look like any other bridge under construction along I-84. The orange cones are the same, as are the matching orange hard hats and safety vests worn by the workers. However, the $3.1 million project to reconstruct the east half of the overpass has the distinction of being the first road project overseen primarily by women – a first for the Idaho Transportation Department.

ITD's project manager for the bridge is Jayme Coonce. Former ITD engineer Kadee Porter is the project manager for the general contractor, Concrete Placing Company of Boise. Also, Rita Wilson of Connecting Idaho Partners has been the project manager in design.

"This project has been very rewarding to work on," says Coonce, who stumbled into a career in transportation while on a post-graduate internship in Minnesota working with a road survey crew. She decided to go back to school and earn an engineering degree.

"I absolutely love my job," she says. "You literally get to witness the fruits of your endeavors from the ground up. There is a lot of personal satisfaction that goes along with seeing hard work and determination result in a structure that ultimately benefits so many people."

In the construction industry, where less than 10 percent of the workforce is composed of women, the Franklin Bridge story stands out. So does ITD's commitment to encourage women in seeking jobs within the transportation industry. The ITD Web site has links for women who seek engineering degrees, scholarships, and for anyone who wishes to apply for ITD's Engineer In Training (EIT) program.

"I encourage both women and men to open their eyes to opportunities in transportation planning, design and construction," Wilson says. "This is a growing industry, and with the potential for increases in federal funding, transportation and the construction industry in general is a good place to be."

The Franklin Bridge is slated for completion in April.

Sugarhouse Project Still on Hold

Salt Lake-based developer Craig Mecham’s mixed-use project in Sugarhouse is still on hold, although he did recently meet Salt Lake City’s deadline of March 1 to backfill the area on the corner of 2100 South and Highland Drive by having soil trucked in from the new Utah Museum of Natural History project near Red Butte Canyon in Salt Lake.

The 4.5-acre site was once home to an antiquated building known for its hip, trendy shops frequented by eclectic young shoppers. Demolition of that building started in January 2008 to make way for a new mixed-use development of office, retail and apartment space. Tough economic times halted Mecham’s plans indefinitely, and the site has been nothing but a crater with a few small shrubs around its border, not exactly what the community expected.

"Right now, we've stopped everything," says Mecham, who is trying to get financing for a planned seven-story office building with ground-level restaurants and retail. A second-phase residential tower is also a possibility, although current frozen credit markets make it unlikely this will happen anytime soon. "We're kind of in a wait-and-see mode.”

Camco Completes Codale Electric Facilities

Salt Lake City-based Camco Construction Inc. has completed construction on two facilities for Codale Electric Supply Company, one in West Valley City, Utah and the other in Rock Springs, Wyo. The 37,000-sq-ft, two-story masonry facility in Rock Springs consists of retail sales, office, and warehouse space. The warehouse has multiple dock doors with an extra 10,000 sq ft available for lease and future company growth.

Both locations were designed by Chris Layton & Associates of Salt Lake and include a state-of-the-art training room and gym to promote an employee wellness program.

The 225,000-sq-ft concrete tilt-up headquarters in West Valley City includes Codale’s main office, warehouse, assembly room, and retail center. It features nearly 1,000 different varieties of lights and fixtures throughout the building, making it a living show room for Codale’s products.

Restoration Completed in Downtown Ogden

It took a lot of research to rediscover the original storefront of the building at 2432 Washington Blvd. in Ogden, but that’s what Thaine Fischer had planned for the property. The project is one of four the development company has undertaken in the 25th Street and Washington Blvd. Central Business District. Fischer says he is “excited to see where the new development leads.”

To complete the project, Fischer first enlisted the help of Brady Ellis of Silver Crest Signs who pulled photos from the archives at Ogden’s Union Station. The photos became the basis for the design by Ogden architect Bill Salerno. Once designed, R&O Construction Co. of Ogden restored the project to its original 19th century facade. R&O also handled the demolition and structural upgrade of the 10,602-sq-ft building that is now available for lease.

Fischer says he is very proud of this “restoration to grandeur.” R&O’s Orluff Opheikens, chairman of the board, and Barbara Taylor, marketing director, serve on the 25th Street Association’s advisory board and marketing committee.