•  2003 Project Highlights
•  Evaluation Criteria

I-90, Sullivan Rd. to Idaho State Line Phase 1

Spokane County

** Here's what you had to say

Design: Construction Management: Schedule: Cost: Engineers Estimate: $1,914,094 Contract Award Amount: $1,680,032 Estimated cost for completion: $1,636,400 Inland Asphalt and the DOT have partnered effectively to proactively address issues as they occurred. Schedule and time issues were dealt with up front to the benefit of all parties. There is a strong emphasis on worker safety and environmental stewardship. The striping manufacturer recommended a delay in the application of striping in order to insure long life. While the number of days the contractor worked were not impacted, this did delay the overall completion of the project by two weeks. Delays also occurred when the DOT ordered a shutdown of contract work to minimize impacts and delays to traffic due to heavy volume weekends. Probably the most significant cost impact was when an unknown driver disregarded the traffic control signing, barrels and flaggers and drove through the fresh concrete. This left deep wheel marks in the wet pavement and required extensive and costly rework and grinding of the pavement to achieve a driveable surface.

This project replaced the severely rutted section of I-90 with new pavement, from the east side of the City of Spokane Valley to the Idaho state line. Severe rutting had developed due to high traffic volumes and studded tire wear. Work will provide a smoother and safer ride for motorists.

Included with this project are studded tire-wear test sections that will compare and evaluate different types of surfacing and striping for durability and cost:
- 2,000 feet (0.4 miles) of thin lift Portland Cement Concrete with varying depths of 3 inches, 4 inches and 5 inches.
- 2,000 feet (0.4 miles) of an open graded asphalt mixture
- 2,000’ (0.4 miles) of micro/macro surfacing a rut fill and overlay of the existing pavement.
- Two different types of inset striping throughout the length of the project.

Construction Summary

This project is a typical grind and inlay paving job to address and improve severe rutting experienced on this section of Interstate 90. Inland Asphalt and the DOT worked well together to address issues as they arose and both were always interested in doing the project on budget, on time, and in the safest manner possible for both the workers and the traveling public. The contractor did a great job of placement of this asphalt pavement, and smoothness measurements show this section to have a very good ride.

Phase 1 was a project to address the rapidly growing rutting problem on I-90. Paving work on the project was completed in late August 2003. Phase 2 will occur in the summer of 2004 and will repave the ramps, upgrade and update signing and guardrail, including the installation of cable guardrail in the median.

Of the pavement test sections constructed on this project, initial views are favorable:
Portland Cement Concrete - Long life and resistance to rutting will be the ultimate test that only time will tell. For future applications of this product we need to look at the delays to the traveling public that were incurred during the construction process and whether the long surface life offsets this inconvenience.
Micro/Macro Surfacing -This was a very quick and easy process with minimal traffic impacts to the public. Costs were higher than anticipated due to the minor amount of this work. If the costs can be lowered this may prove to be an effective short-term solution to rutting on high volume highways. The public may not be as receptive to the rougher roadway that was left on I-90 in this section as a result of this process. Part of that roughness perception may be when this section is compared to the very smooth new pavement adjoining this test section.
Open Graded Asphalt - This type of asphalt mixture has performed well in the past in other settings. The DOT will be monitoring this section to see how it performs in relation to the adjoining, pavement.

Contractor:
Inland Asphalt Company, Spokane

WSDOT Contact:
Darrel McCallum, Project Engineer
WSDOT Eastern Region
Phone:
Email: mccalld@wsdot.wa.gov

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