2 minute read
Pedestrian Improvement Project
Mill and Resurface Kennedy Blvd.
Aerial of Pierce and Kennedy corner
Hillsborough County - Downtown Tampa is not the easiest location for a construction project, but Ajax’s Area 3 has been here before. Reminiscent of a project we built in 2007, Ajax was awarded the bid for a Pedestrian Improvement Project on Kennedy Boulevard in Downtown Tampa from Ashley Street to Nebraska Avenue. The project mainly consisted of widening the sidewalk platforms at each intersection thru the Kennedy Boulevard corridor. Along with the pedestrian improvements, a mill and resurface of Kennedy Boulevard was included. There are many famous local residents working in buildings along this corridor including the Mayor’s office, Tampa City Hall, Hillsborough County Public Services, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Hillsborough County Courthouse, Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Bank of America and BB&T Bank, historic Masonic Lodge and the famous Rivergate Tower, more popularly known as the “beer can” building. Needless to say, the project is also a public relations affair! Project Superintendent Isabell Troxell was tasked to lead the project in the field. Coming off a year working with Hillsborough County on various stormwater work order jobs, Isabell was ready for an FDOT project. The project has a short schedule of 110 days with quite a bit of construction work to be completed within that time. There are nine intersections along this corridor and every single pedestrian platform corner will be rebuilt. This includes 36 intersection corners, approximately 2,000 LF of D-Curb, 2,300 SY of 6” sidewalk, 13 pipe structures to be set, 144 LF of 18” RCP, 300 LF of water channelizing trench drain, and 2,200 tons of asphalt milling and resurfacing. All of this work had to be completed within 110 days while also maintaining pedestrian traffic thru the busiest pedestrian corridor in Tampa. Isabell showed no fear and entered this project determined to lead her construction team to success!
The project is on-schedule to complete in early January 2019. Thanksgiving week marked the start of the mill and resurface work as the concrete crews finish the pedestrian platforms. I’d like to send a big shout out to crews in the field that worked on this project since September 2018: Concrete Foremen Paul Robinson, John Lake and Eggy Garay-Hernandez, MOT Foreman Joe Blake, Pipe Foreman Eric Dasaro and Grade Foremen Darren Labolt, Andrew Cary and their crews.
I’d also like to send a big thanks to Spencer Wadsworth and Dale Purcell for providing their valuable construction knowledge and insight to help Isabell and keep this job on track for a successful finish. This project team has worked well and resolved field issues with FDOT very quickly and have kept a great relationship and reputation in the field. A job well done for this construction team!
Matt Horan Project Manager
Pipe crew preparing to lift and set manhole
Aerial of concrete crew working at Jefferson and Kennedy Pipe crew rigs manhole structure
Pipe crew working at Jefferson and Kennedy
