2Spur 601 - POV and Airport Bridges

Accelerated OVT Services Keeps Project On Track

Project Background

Liberty Expressway (Spur 601), El Paso, Texas

The Spur 601 Project consists of a new six- lane divided freeway with interchanges connecting US 54 and Loop 375. The $368 million project is approximately 7 miles in length and comprises an elevated section along the existing Fred Wilson Boulevard at the western end of the project and an at-grade section to the east generally on right-of-way at the southern boundary of Fort Bliss. The project includes a realignment of Global Reach Boulevard, and several new entries to Fort Bliss. The Spur 601 Project provides an alternative route to support Fort Bliss expansion, reduce congestion, and improve safety by providing alternative routes for drivers.

Read About The Project.

Sector: Construction Materials Engineering and Testing

Market: Road

Location: El Paso, Texas

Services: Owner Verification Testing

 

Spur 601 - Segment B WB at Constitution

The Problem

Due expansion at Fort Bliss, 21,000 new troops were relocated with construction of new housing and related private development. This relocation would overwhelm entry and exit from the base and exacerbate existing traffic congestion in the area. The Liberty Expressway was developed as an accelerated design-build project to address traffic congestion and to provide access to new gate facilities for Fort Bliss.

The Goal

Provide material quality acceptance verification so that Federal TIFIA loan funding could be released to the project by FHWA.

Our Solution

As part of the Independent Engineer Team, HVJ provided Owner Verification Testing and Inspection (OVT&I) of concrete, soil, base material, aggregate, and hot mix. Quarterly reports verified acceptance of materials incorporated into the project for FHWA approval in order to satisfy requirements of Federal regulations (23CFR 637B).

At project start-up HVJ had to quickly mobilize certified personnel and setup an AASHTO accredited onsite laboratory that was qualified to perform testing on the project. HVJ made sure the laboratory was fully equipped, certified, and staffed with the right technicians with required certifications available in advance of start of construction.

At the time TxDOT was implementing lessons learned from their first design-build projects. On the Liberty Expressway project HVJ worked through these lessons for the owner verification process and was the first design-build project that used varying analysis levels. This innovation streamlined the testing allowing for significant savings in testing required while maintaining TxDOT concurrence that verification satisfied Federal requirements for releasing funds to the project.

The Result

American Council of Engineering Companies of Texas Gold Medal Winner

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