Lochner’s SR-37; 5100 West to Midland Drive Project Receives IPI’s Partnered Project of the Year Award
The International Partnering Institute’s (IPI) Collaboration 2018 Conference took place in San Francisco May 17-18. During the conference, IPI held their annual awards ceremony recognizing projects and individuals who have exhibited the highest levels of collaboration on their projects. Lochner’s SR-37; 5100 West to Midland Drive project received the 2018 Partnered Project of the Year Award in the Civil Construction Projects Under $25 Million category. This project received the Ruby Award Level, as a project of significant regional impact.
The 2.9-mile stretch of SR-37 between SR-108 (Midland Drive) and 5100 West in West Haven, Utah, was a predominantly two-lane arterial, which included a number of features—such as narrow shoulders and deep drainage ditches immediately adjacent to the roadway—that did not meet current design standards. To increase capacity and bring the roadway up to current design standards, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) commissioned a project scoping study to examine roadway widening alternatives. Lochner was responsible for the study, the development of alternatives, and the preparation of a categorical exclusion environmental document.
Lochner was also contracted to provide final design for UDOT’s preferred alternative: a meandering alignment that minimizes impacts to adjacent properties. Lochner prepared plans, specifications, estimates, and a final advertisement package to widen the roadway to provide two travel lanes in each direction, a continuous center turn lane, 10-foot-wide and 12-foot-wide shoulders, curb, gutter, and sidewalk on both sides. Lochner’s design also included the construction of a 14-foot-wide, 8-foot-high pedestrian underpass for a city trail. This stretch of roadway crosses six drainage and irrigation canals with concrete box culverts and a drainage siphon 72 inches in diameter. Lochner’s design extended the 72-inch drainage siphon, and three of these culverts, and replaced two culverts to accommodate the roadway widening. Additionally, Lochner provided public involvement services, communicating with property owners and other stakeholders to keep them informed of project updates during construction.
Partnering was critical for this project. All members of the project team remained committed to teamwork and collaboration throughout the duration of the project. A formal Partnering session was facilitated at the beginning of the project led by a member of IPI and a neutral facilitator. During this well-attended meeting, channels of team communication were opened, potential risks were evaluated and identified, and project goals were established. There were six initial project goals: maintain safety, uphold open and honest communication, produce a quality project, provide a project the community is proud of, remain fair and equitable with teaming partners, and complete the project on time. The importance of partnering was established from the first session and project team members were reminded of each goal weekly. Problem-solving, effective communication, and teamwork occurred at every level of the project, ultimately leading to its overall success.
SR-37; 5100 West to Midland Drive Project
West Haven, Utah