Jan/Feb 2025

VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1

$5.99 JANUARY FEBRUARY 2025 SERVING CONTRACTING FIRMS AND THE ARIZONA COMMUNITY. . . THEN & NOW

BRIDGES OVER TROUBLED WATER—AND TRAFFIC: PHOENIX’S FREEWAY OVERPASSES BYPASSING HOOVER DAM: THE MIKE O’CALLAGHAN-PAT TILLMAN MEMORIAL BRIDGE BRIDGING HELL CANYON: A STATE ROUTE 89 PROJECT WITH SOME WICKED DEPTHS CROSSING THE SALT RIVER: CONSTRUCTION OF THE LOOP 202’S MILE-LONG BRIDGE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES: ARCHITECTS MAKING CONNECTIONS IN INNOVATIVE WAYS EDWARD KRAEMER & SONS: WHY THE MILL AVENUE BRIDGE FALSEWORK COLLAPSED

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Change and hoping some of it works

Positive changes for our country

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2025?

Contributors Learning something Peter Corbett new every day Mark Edelman Bill Kelton Rebirth of the Richard Parker America I grew up in Luke M. Snell Doug Sydnor International travel in the spring

Production Manager Laura Horner laura@arizcc.com

In Memoriam Charles “Chuck” Runbeck 1928 - 2020

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CONTENTS

10 14 17 47 48 54 60 64 68 74 76 80 84 88 90 94

Contributors - Peter Corbett & Richard Parker From The Editor: Our Unsung Emergency Responders: Tow Truck Operators - Douglas Towne Construction Around Arizona: Projects • People • Practices Back When: The Bridge That Bypassed An Engineering Wonder - Douglas Towne Bridges Over Troubled Water-And Traffic: Phoenix’s Freeway Overpasses - Douglas Towne Arizona’s Floating Crane: Constructing Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge - Billy Horner Bypassing Hoover Dam: The Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge - Douglas Towne Bridging Hell Canyon: A State Route 89 Project with Some Wicked Depths - Peter Corbett Crossing the Salt River: Construction of the Loop 202’s Mile-Long Bridge - Bill Kelton Saluting Arizona’s Builders: Jed Billings Douglas Towne Old School Equipment: Early Self-Propelled Boom Cranes Within Arizona - Billy Horner Building on the Past: 1987 - Westbrook Expands Interstate 17 in North Phoenix - Billy Horner Architect’s Perspective: Pedestrian Bridges - Making Connections - Doug Sydnor, FAIA Digging Through the Archives: John Kraemer and EKS Billy Horner Bid Results Advertising Index

Front Cover Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge under construction by Kraemer & Sons, 1990.

Article on page 54 EIGHT

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CONTRIBUTORS

PETER CORBETT ARTICLE ON PAGE 64

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P

eter Corbett worked for 35 years as an Arizona journalist after graduating from Northern Arizona University in 1980. His career included stints at weekly newspapers in Flagstaff and Verde Valley, the Scottsdale Progress, the Phoenix Gazette, and finally at The Arizona Republic before taking a buyout in 2015.

A native of Omaha, he grew up in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to Flagstaff in 1974 to attend NAU. During his 50 years in Arizona, Corbett developed a keen interest in history while traveling the state. His treks included multiple hikes to the top of Mount Humphreys, a four-day hike across the Grand Canyon, and visits to the waterfalls at Havasupai. He’s lived in Flagstaff, Sedona, Clarkdale, Tempe, and, finally, Scottsdale for 30 years.

Corbett and his wife have two adult children, both ultramarathon trail runners.

Corbett worked for more than two years at the Arizona Department of Transportation, where he contributed blogs on the history of the state highway system. In 2015, he launched “On the Road Arizona,” a travel and history blog that was honored as Arizona’s Best Travel Blog by the Phoenix New Times.

He is a freelance writer for Arizona Contractor and Community, True West Magazine, Flagstaff Business News, and Quad Cities Business News.

RICHARD PARKER ARTICLE ON PAGE 31

R

ichard Parker is a journalism student at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

A senior, he plans to utilize his videography and documentary training to show others the beauty and fragility of the Arizona environment. He is passionate about the Arizona wilderness and wants his reporting to encourage others to protect and promote a cleaner environment.

Richard wants his work to spread awareness and encourage others to look past our differences and understand that we are all in this together. He is writing a piece about the enormous loss of wildlife and biodiversity over the last century and what the experts say we should do to slow and reverse this process. He plans to continue his environmental research and reporting by taking on these big stories that not many people want to hear about and humanizing them to mass audiences so that these significant problems do not seem so daunting to the individual.

In addition to environmental issues, Richard has published on topics including indigenous housing projects and a student tax guide in 2023. Outside of journalism, he has been a screen printer for almost a decade, enjoys hunting and fishing with his friends and family, and likes to play the keyboard to relax.

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he year 2023 marked a milestone in my career: it had been 50 years since my first paycheck from my grandfather’s construction company, Edward S. Kelton Contracting. Over the past half-century, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be involved in some exceptional projects with some extraordinary people. The construction industry fosters a sense of family when everyone uses their unique talents for the good of the team and project.

My family’s contracting legacy dates to the early 1800s in middle Tennessee, so I am very fond of construction stories and tales of overcoming nearly impossible situations through hard work and ingenuity. Billy Horner, Douglas Towne, and the Arizona Contractor and Community staff are dedicated to documenting Arizona’s history so that future generations can learn how the state grew from humble agricultural communities with stagecoach and railroad stops to the thriving places we all enjoy.

I want to express my sincere thanks to my good friend Billy Horner and his crew for their work. I look forward to contributing to their effort whenever I can.

Bill Kelton, Former Vice President Buesing Corp., Phoenix, Arizona Thanks, Bill, and enjoy your well-deserved retirement! But don’t forget to check your email, as the magazine plans to take you up on your offer and showcase your considerable expertise in future issues.

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EDITOR’S COLUMN:

OUR UNSUNG EMERGENCY RESPONDERS: TOW TRUCK OPERATORS DOUGLAS TOWNE

I

t’s the person no one wants to call—until they find themselves in a tight spot with their vehicle. Then, there’s no better sight than the flashing lights of a tow truck coming to the rescue. Whether it’s a disabled car with a mechanical issue or the daunting task of hauling away autos involved in an accident, these operators are the ones doing the heavy lifting to provide essential roadside assistance.

Dealing with the public during those stressful times can sometimes be a thankless task. Adding to the challenge is the hazardous work environment, often at night, in poor weather, with traffic whizzing by a

few feet away. A recent study from NIOSH revealed that tow truck drivers’ on-the-job fatality risk is nearly 15 times greater than workers in all other private industries.

For many years, however, my opinion of this occupation was clouded, having witnessed the stationary version of a “speed trap.” An unscrupulous outfit repeatedly waited to tow vehicles left in a poorly marked “No Parking” zone and charged big bucks when the owners went to retrieve their cars.

But every industry has the occasional bad egg. After visiting the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum in Chattanooga, which offers eye-opening insights into the industry, I have a better

appreciation of the risks these drivers face and the vital public service they provide.

My wife and I opted for the museum on a rainy Sunday morning last fall. This hidden treasure is nestled in the shadow of the Civil War battlefield atop nearby Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. “The International Towing Museum is the only place in the world that offers a close encounter with a tow truck that is actually fun, positive, and nostalgic,” the museum’s website declares.

The museum was fascinating, even for a non-gearhead like me. The admission fee was a small price to pay for the unique Americana on display: vintage signage, gas pumps, pedal cars, and uniforms. The main event was an intriguing journey through the evolution of tow trucks, a.k.a. “automobile ambulances” or “wreckers.” The catchy slogans companies used to attract business were a hoot, such as “Don’t Cuss, Call Us,” and “We Don’t Want an Arm & A Leg Just Your Tows.”

Images Courtesy of Author

Top left: The massive Choo-Choo sign atop Chattanooga’s former railroad station.

Top right: International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum.

Right: A 1950s-era replica of Ernest Holmes Sr.’s 1918 Automobile Wrecker No. 1.

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JANUARY FEBRUARY 2025

Above and right: Vintage Ernest Holmes Co. wreckers.

Below: Vintage petroliana on display at the museum.

Perhaps fittingly, the Friends of Towing a friend retrieve his Model T from nearby group started the museum as a mobile dis- South Chickamauga Creek in 1916, a diffiplay in a semi-trailer, touring the country cult and unpleasant experience that took for industry trade shows. In 1995, it found ten men eight hours to complete. a permanent home in Chattanooga, a city Holmes modified a 1913 Cadillac, addmore renowned for its iconic but fictional ing a pulley and several poles to the back train. Big band leader Glenn to create the first wrecker. His Miller’s 1940 hit, “Chattanooga unique “split-boom” design Choo-Choo,” immortalized a rail- “MOVE OVER AND anchored the tow truck on one road journey that started from SLOW DOWN,” side and retrieved a vehicle from Track 29 at Pennsylvania Station other side without tilting the IS THE INDUSTRY’S the in New York City and ended at wrecker. This feature allowed MANTRA. Chattanooga’s Terminal Station, a the safe recovery of disabled Beaux-Arts-style building, which vehicles located down steep has been operating as a hotel and entertain- embankments. ment complex since 1989.

Holmes’ pioneer tow truck found much Chattanooga, located along the Tennes- work extracting stuck or broken-down cars see River, is also where Ernest Holmes Sr. and transporting them to his automotive received the first patent for a tow truck in repair shop. Holmes named the wrecker 1918. Holmes only completed eighth grade the 680, which is what he sold it for— but had an interest in machinery and took $680. In 1919, he started manufacturing correspondence courses in engineering. The tow trucks at the Ernest Holmes Company. invention was the result of Holmes helping When Holmes Sr. died in 1945, his oldest

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son, Ernest Holmes Jr., took over until the firm was bought out in 1973.

The museum prominently features a replica of the first tow truck, labeled Automobile Wrecker No. 1, which was built by the Holmes Company in the 1950s. However, it’s just one of many tow trucks on display that show the evolution of the industry. Each is fully restored with an accompanying storyboard.

The International Towing Museum was successful in its mission, as I’ve never looked at a tow truck the same way since. The industry’s mantra, “Move Over and Slow Down,” is embedded in my consciousness, as is the memorial in front of the museum dedicated to the many operators who have lost their lives trying to help someone out of a jam.

Still, in a phrase a tow truck operator would certainly appreciate, I hope I don’t have to hook up with one in the future.

Images Courtesy of Author

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SOUTHWEST JCB REVS UP ITS MACHINERY FOR A SUCCESSFUL OPEN HOUSE

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outhwest JCB, a provider of construction and job site machinery and equipment, held its inaugural open house in Phoenix at its new location in November 2024.

The event, which took place at 2950 West Durango Street, was designed to showcase the company’s 5-acre facility, meet with customers, and highlight the full range of JCB and Dynapac machinery available for the Arizona market. The facility is specially designed to support all aspects of JCB and Dynapac products, including service and maintenance.

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With approximately 100 guests in attendance, the event featured booths from JCB North America, Dynapac Corporation, and Avant. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with staff, obtain pricing for equipment, and participate in a raffle for door prizes. A catered BBQ lunch was also provided, creating a relaxed atmosphere for networking.

The parking lot was lined with various models of current equipment, offering guests the chance to see the machinery up

close. Doug Varner, Director of Operations for Arizona, shared his excitement about the event. “We are particularly excited about our new 4CX backhoe, which is the industry’s

Right: Brianna Buenabad and Kayla Wright (l-r), sales & marketing specialists at the JCB registration booth.

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Above: Dynapac employees including Jay Hays, director of aftermarket; Scott Carey, Western region sales manager; Pete Fredrickson, asphalt product specialist; and Sean Engle, business development director (l-r).

Below: Chris Brogus, SWJCB vice-president of sales; Kirt Little, SWJCB president & CEO; George Heining, JCB Western region vice president; and Doug Varner, SWJCB director of operations (l-r).

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Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

most powerful and nimble 4-wheel steering backhoe.”

Art Norman, Southwest JCB’s marketing manager, flew in from California for the event and played a crucial role in event logistics and the setup, including supervising the overhead drone footage for the occasion. Kirt Little, Southwest JCB’s President and CEO, also traveled from California for the occasion.

“We were thrilled to spend such a beautiful fall day with our customers at our newest facility in Phoenix,” says Nic DiPaolo, General Manager of Southwest JCB. “We’ve come so far in the past year, and getting the opportunity to share it with them was awesome!”

Southwest JCB, following the company’s acquisition from Procon JCB in 2022, is owned by Southwest Material Handling, a family-owned business that started in 1989 and recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. The company now operates four locations in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada, with a fifth location opening soon. With over 300 employees—140 of whom are technicians—Southwest JCB generates approximately $200 million in annual revenue. The company is focused on sales, service, and rentals of JCB and Dynapac construction equipment.

The event marked a positive first impression for Southwest JCB under its new ownership and management, with a renewed focus on customer service. Varner and his team are excited to continue building on this momentum in the coming months and years.

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Riverside Sunderland by connecting pedestrian and cyclist traffic from the city center to the Stadium of Light – home of the professional football club, Sunderland AFC. Mammoet, a Dutch company specializing in engineered heavy lifting and the transport of large objects, was faced with the challenge of performing the heavy lifts

in a busy city and enabling its construction in as few modules as possible, simplifying the overall schedule.

As an expert in efficient bridge installation projects and smart site management, Mammoet was appointed to oversee the smooth delivery and heavy lifting of the bridge sections. The 250-meter bridge was fabricated in Ghent, Belgium, by Victor Buyck Steel Construction. Weighing 1,150 tons, it comprises four sections that needed to be shipped from Belgium and installed in Sunderland.

Bridge Sections: From Belgium to Sunderland Working closely with the Belgium-based marine heavy-lift specialist HEBO, Mammoet arranged for the four bridge sections to be shipped via two voyages timed a month apart. This “Just-in-Time” approach allowed enough space for the operations team at Mammoet to install the first two sections and prepare for the arrival of the remaining two.

The team was first mobilized on the north side of the river, ready to receive and lift the first two sections from a barge using ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

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an LR 11350 crawler crane. The first two bridge sections were lifted from the barge onto concrete plinths close to the water’s edge.

The team then dismantled the crane and relocated to the south side of the river, ready to receive the second delivery. One more bridge section was placed on plinths, and the final and largest section, measuring 105 meters, was lifted from the barge using strand jacks connected to the previously installed sections.

Strand jacks were necessary as the crawler crane couldn’t perform the heavy lift of the final center section, which was 300 tons heavier than the other parts. The alternative would be to erect the bridge in five sections, which would have lengthened the project schedule.

Crawler Crane Mobilization: From Scotland to Sunderland The crawler crane came directly from another project at the Port of Nigg, Scotland. Its parts were transported to Sunderland using 50 conventional trailers, which caused a challenge in scheduling.

During assembly of a crawler crane, you need to bring in each section as you would build it,” explains Richard Gatenby, Project Manager at Mammoet. “We needed to make sure that as the crane was coming

from Nigg, the trailers were arriving in the right order, and there was no breakdown in communication. We sent the client our transport schedule and plan, so they knew what was moving and when.”

There were other challenges the team overcame during the project. The barges could be positioned in a general mirroring spot in the middle of the river, but due to the changing water heights, there were

limited opportunities to move them to the river’s edge. This was managed carefully to ensure the waterway was kept as clear as possible.

Due to the bridge’s curved bottom, when the sections were placed flat on conventional trailers, their angled tops meant one end sat higher than the other. During the heavy lift, careful jacking was needed to rotate them and get them into the correct position.

A similar challenge occurred when the heavy transport of the sections was taking place in Belgium. They needed to be jacked up at one end to level the height and clear low bridges along canals.

Restrictions on space at the south side of the river also meant that a temporary laydown area, the Port of Sunderland, had to be utilized not for the bridge sections, but for the crawler crane.

“When you take the crane apart, the boom sections are removed first,” Gatenby explains. “So, we remove those and take them to the port, and then eventually, we can get to the main structure of the crane. If we took the boom section to the south side straight away, there just wouldn’t be enough room to store everything until we could get the main structure there.”

With space at the site limited, a smart delivery and installation approach was essential to ensure a smooth, safe, and efficient operation. This project demonstrates how Mammoet’s early involvement can help customers plan for a multitude of heavy-lift challenges – even when site space is a challenge.

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TWENTY SIX

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CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects

BIG-D “FULFILLS” AMAZON’S REQUEST FOR NEW WAREHOUSE

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any of us enjoy Amazon’s quick delivery, but what’s it like to construct one of the global giant’s famous Same-Day Fulfillment Centers? “In the fast-paced world of Amazon, innovation is constant,” says Big-D Construction Southwest President Carl McFarland. “While this dynamic environment brings exciting new ideas, it also EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Chad Greco, Project Mgr Experience: 4 years with Big-D Construction Southwest Favorite job task: Working with the field team and seeing a new project come to life, from an empty warehouse to a package-churning machine.

Most challenging job task: The changes from week to week while waiting for the most up-to-date composite.

Most memorable day at work: Getting a total cost of ownership sign-off, which gave the site full operational capabilities.

Favorite activities away from work: Hanging with my family, enjoying my daughter’s soccer games, and getting away to golf.

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means that project requirements can evolve quickly. What you’re building one week may shift by the next, so staying adaptable and proactive is key to keeping up with their vision.”

This dynamic kept Big-D employees on their toes for nine months as the company built the $14 million Amazon SSD-SAZ3 Same Day Fulfillment Center in Tucson.

“This project involves transforming an existing building into two separate tenant spaces, one of which will be developed into a state-of-the-art fulfillment center for Amazon,” McFarland says. The scope of work includes significant structural, site, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical upgrades.

Additionally, a cutting-edge robotic system will be installed to streamline order processing and enhance operational efficiency. The project’s key benefits include reduced delivery times, increased productivity, modernized infrastructure, and scalability to support Amazon’s future growth, ultimately improving customer satisfaction.

According to McFarland, Amazon engineers develop designs based on a comprehensive composite with precise numbers, which smaller teams use to guide their work. “While the construction team also relies on this composite, we require detailed plans to implement adjustments effectively in the field. This collaboration ensures that field changes align with the

Images Courtesy of Big-D Construction Southwest

overall project vision, allowing us to deliver high-quality results.” Big-D employed Drone Deploy for 360-degree camera walks for updated site progression.

One of the insights Big-D learned from the project was that as key onsite teams such as RME, Startup, and Robotics begin to arrive, it’s essential to collaborate closely with them. “These teams consistently have the most up-to-date information regarding any changes, ensuring smooth communication and alignment throughout the project,” McFarland says.

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nyone who has done a home project or constructed a building knows that sometimes there are tricky angles.

Stevens-Leinweber Construction’s recent project, Empire 101, a brand new, 153,145-square-foot Class A industrial building developed by KBC Advisors, is no exception.

“The north slant wall of the project presented a few concrete and framing challenges based on the acute and obtuse angles,” says SLC Senior Project Manager Dave Zipser. “But SLC is always up for a good challenge!”

Empire 101 is located at 8850 West Sweetwater Avenue in Peoria, Arizona. “It provides brand new construction on a prime infill site – a rare combination in the Phoenix area,” Zipser says. “It’s also a location EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Dave Zipser, Senior Project Manager Experience: 2 years with Stevens-Leinweber Construction Favorite job task: Working as part of a collaborative team to execute awardwinning projects for awesome clients.

that required careful attention to logistics as it related to material procurement, delivery, storage, and, most importantly, noise management to ensure minimal impacts to nearby residents and businesses.”

SLC started the Empire 101 project in April 2023 and finished in August 2024. The industrial space features a 32-foot clear height, 21 dock doors, two drive-in bays, ten levelers, 90 clerestory windows, and generous power. It also offers a fully secured truck court, a 65,000-square-foot secured yard, and parking for 144 automobiles, which is expandable to over 200 total spaces.

“This is a true turnkey building, with full air conditioning, dock packages, heavy power, a significant truck yard, and 2,000 square feet of spec office space ready on day one in an area becoming a new hub for metro Phoenix industrial tenancy,” Zipser says. “Its move-in-ready approach provides tenants with immediate entry into this market, with the state-of-the-art features and quality that KBC is known for.”

According to Zipser, KBC Empire fully implemented CMiC from design to completion. “CMiC is SLC’s cloud-based project management system – a powerful tool that helped foster collaboration across the Empire 101 project team,” he says.

Empire 101 sits just 12 minutes from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects

STEVENS-LEINWEBER CONSTRUCTION CREATES AN EMPIRE IN PEORIA

Company’s (TSMC) Arizona FAB campus, the $64 billion, three-fab investment transforming Arizona into a semiconductor powerhouse. As such, Empire 101 is a prime example of the wide range of industrial development spurred by the booming Arizona semiconductor industry.

SLC, the general contractor, was assisted on the project by the following subcontractors: Architect - Deutsch Architecture, Brokers – Mike Ciosek and Eric Bell of Kidder Mathews, Earthwork/Paving – Scott’s Diversified Construction, Structural Concrete – Riggs Companies, Site Concrete – Koba Concrete, Structural Steel – Alignment Steel, Roof System – The Structure Group, Mechanical – TCK Air Conditioning and Heating, Electrical – Integrity Electric, Plumbing – Universal Piping, Masonry – CJS Enterprises, and Landscaping – Hashknife Hotshots.

“Our industry currently delivers millions of square feet of warehouse construction in the Valley,” Zipser says. “Empire 101 stands apart from its competition by offering some features that others don’t, namely freeway frontage, turnkey specifications, and a fully secured yard for outdoor storage. KBC Advisors designed Empire 101 for tenants who can take advantage of these options from the typical in-line offerings.”

Images Courtesy of Stevens-Leinweber Construction

Most challenging job task: Managing financial considerations is the biggest challenge to any project. Whether it’s long lead items, design changes, or schedule delays, they all affect the bottom line of a commercial construction project.

Most memorable day at work: Reconnecting with “old” teammates on my first day at SLC! The best part of working at SLC is the teamwork and camaraderie.

Favorite activities away from work: I’m busy spending time with family, working out, and seeing live music and sporting events!

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CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects

ZENNIHOME PROVIDES NAVAJO NATION RESIDENTS WITH SUSTAINABLE HOUSING

he home-building company ZenniHome is focused on providing affordable, sustainable, and high-quality housing for the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation awarded the company $74 million in grants from the American Rescue Plan and other sources, such as lawsuit settlements.

Bob Worsley, ZenniHome’s CEO and founder, outlined in an interview everything from the construction process to different economic initiatives, including employing Navajo Nation residents and planning for a future transitional housing project for victims of addiction and alcoholism.

Worsley previously represented District 25 in the Arizona Senate and was the CEO and founder of SkyMall Magazine. At its height, the magazine reached 88 percent of U.S. airline passengers and garnered a vast worldwide audience.

Worsley and Stephen D. James founded ZenniHome in 2019 with a vision of green, tech-integrated, transformable, and precision-made new homes. Worsley says, “We assemble in stations around the line. The chassis goes through eight steps, eight line companies we call it.”

These eight steps begin with assembling the home’s chassis, or skeleton. This is followed by paneling, bathroom and cabinet and inspection organization hired by the construction companies like ZenniHome assembly, and inspections and certifications, State of Arizona. Regulation and licens- have to negotiate to operate. which are done by Intertek, a certification ing issues are some of the biggest hurdles “I would say that it’s kind of like the airplane coming with the wings in one place Images Courtesy of ZenniHome and the body in the other,” Worsley says, Once the two halves of the home are fully assembled, two semis bring the home to the job site, where cranes lift it into place.

Then, the house is bolted to the ground on pre-poured concrete piers as a foundation.

Worsley also says that they were experimenting with serial, as opposed to parallel, construction strategies while putting the factory together. This means that they planned to construct the building itself and run test models throughout the system all at once instead of piece by piece.

“We have to just follow the plans that were approved by the state and the procedures in the factory,” Worsley says, “It’s called a QC manual, and we provide a layout of the factory when Intertek comes to our factory to approve our homes and their different stages of completion.”

Worsley also discussed how ZenniHome wants to build the first Net Zero factory by utilizing technology that collects wind and ARIZCC.COM

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Navajo native Micah Smith says, “Housing has long been an issue on reservations and it is nice to see that Arizona plans to face this problem head-on.”

ZenniHome plans on providing housing as well as transitional housing for drug addicts and alcoholics. “The Navajo Nation has nowhere to send people after that initial triage of their crisis at the hospital, so basically, they send them home,” Worsley says.

“This will build those transitional homes where the federal government will pay for those extra two weeks of being helped and

assisted. We are providing that as a part of the opioid addiction treatment.”

“Imagine being the Mecca of the most affordable high-quality homes produced in America, and it’s going to be happening here on the Navajo Nation in Litchi, Arizona,” says Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. Nygren has been president of the Navajo Nation since January 2023 and has improved its communities by providing necessities such as power, water, and reliable roads.

ZenniHome was founded in 2019 with the goal of bringing practical solutions to the housing crisis in America and other parts of

the world. The company uses leading technologies that help minimize environmental impact and high-grade materials so that the homes last for generations.

ZenniHome’s 2023 annual report shows a net loss of more than $3 million and reports that the company signed a $10.5 million contract for 90 units for a development in Mesa, Arizona. The company projects that it will generate approximately $71 million in revenue based on “soft” or unbooked orders. However, little is mentioned about the Navajo Nation grant and its current efforts in providing housing to reservations.

Images Courtesy of ZenniHome

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MCCARTHY COMPLETES NEWLY REIMAGINED GALVESTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS IN CHANDLER

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cCarthy Building Companies built Chandler Unified School District’s Galveston Elementary School, and then they constructed it again.

“The use of our Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) allowed us to create a 3D model of the entire school, which expedites our ordering of materials and the prefabrication of systems,” says Tab Barth, project manager for McCarthy’s Education team. “It also facilitated the construction process and allowed us to share the model with the community so they could virtually experience their new school and see how their ideas were incorporated into the design before we started building.”

Galveston Elementary recently celebrated the grand opening of Phase I of its campus reimagination project, which Orcutt | Winslow designed. Initially constructed in 1963, the campus’ first phase of the $35 million reimagination opened its doors to welcome students, teachers, and faculty to their new facility.

Phase I began construction in September 2023 and features a 53,000-square-foot, two-stor y classroom building , a 7,000-square-foot administration building, and a 21,000-square-foot multipurpose gymnasium facility. “The entire design concept is an open learning environment with many flexible spaces, indoor and outdoor learning spaces, and natural light,” Barth says. “The flexibility allows for learning spaces to combine or adjust to the needs

of the lesson, grade, or teachers’ needs. It’s a beautiful, naturally lit space with many options supporting learning and creativity.”

Located at 661 East Galveston Street, the 11-acre campus serves more than 400 students from preschool through 6th grade, now equipped with grade-appropriate flexible learning spaces and outdoor collaboration areas. With a new capacity of 750 students, the campus unites Galveston’s rich history with state-of-the-art infrastructure designed to transform with the needs of the curriculum.

Students and faculty were familiar with the school even before it opened. “The McCarthy project team held quarterly job site tours for 3rd-6th grade students and faculty throughout the project so everyone could see the progress of their new school,” Barth says. “Our team incorporated STEM

learning exercises into the tours with math, science, and engineering-type questions about the work that was happening.”

He adds that what was great about it was that the kids could feel like they were part of the construction process. “It created a lot of excitement for the students and their new school, and many became interested in pursuing careers in construction and wanting to work at McCarthy!”

Everyone involved in the project realized how complicated construction can be, with the school’s location on a “utility island” serviced by numerous public utility providers, some competing with one another. “Each provider has varying requirements and rules, which in some cases are many decades old,” Barth says. “Because of this, there was an enormous amount of coordination with the utility providers and

Images Courtesy of McCarthy

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the City of Chandler to ensure that each requirement was met. Our team led the coordination and assured the school had the needed power, internet, water, and irrigation for its sports fields. This process was a very complex and challenging aspect of the project, but in the end, we successfully navigated the challenges.”

Barth says the Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) contract was critical to the project’s early completion. “We used a twophase contract, with the first phase focused

on procuring long lead equipment such as electrical equipment, HVAC equipment, and the elevator early enough that the project was not delayed due to supply chain issues,” he says. “The second phase of the contract consisted of building the school. It was a successful way to ensure there were no delays and complete the building two weeks ahead of schedule so teachers, faculty, and staff had a little extra time to move in and settle before students began using the space.”

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

to work together effectively, even under challenging circumstances.

Diego Vazquez, Project Superintendent Experience: 3 years with McCarthy; 9 years in the industry Favorite job task: Scheduling and planning, which allows us to establish the framework for the entire project proactively. This foresight enables us to identify potential challenges before they arise, develop contingency plans, and mitigate risks effectively. I find great satisfaction in creating a schedule that guides daily operations and serves as a roadmap for achieving project milestones.

Most challenging job task: Managing the coordination between various trades, especially when communication breaks down. This can look like delays in response or misunderstanding of the original intent. Navigating these challenges requires maintaining a positive attitude and motivating teams ARIZCC.COM

Most memorable day at work: The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Galveston Elementary School. Standing there, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride as I witnessed the genuine gratitude of the teachers and the pure awe in the eyes of the students. It was a moment that genuinely showcased McCarthy’s impact on the community. The foundation we built at Galveston wasn’t just about constructing a school; it represented a brighter future for the kids and a renewed space for learning.

Favorite activities away from work: I am a huge basketball fan and attend sporting events at Footprint Center and other places during my time off.

My wife, Esmeralda, and I are season ticket holders for the Phoenix Suns. We love the excitement of the games, the crowd’s energy, the thrill of watching our favorite players in action, and the sense of community that comes with being part of the fanbase.

Subcontractors used on the project include: BCS Contracting, B&F Contracting, McCarthy Mechanical, Procon Concrete, Arizona Recreation, Shade-N-Net, Mark’s Valley Grading, Sun Valley Masonry, Architectural Millwork Design (AMD), Adam’s Fence, Progressive Roofing, Copperstate Fire, Wholesale Floors, Barrett Homes Contractors, Arizona Restaurant Supply, Pete King Contractors, Safe Haven Defense, Hawkeye Electric, Mission Underground, McCarthy Underground Utility Mapping, Midstate Mechanical, Schindler Elevator, Grand Canyon Suppliers, CCS Presentation Systems, True Metal Solutions, and S&M Communications.

Phase II recently started with demolishing the 60-year-old original building and constructing new athletic fields and a playground. The new sports fields will include a soccer/flag football field, a baseball field, and two outdoor basketball courts. The entire project is slated to be completed in February 2025.

During Phase 1, the school district hosted numerous community forums where the families of students, educators, and community members provided input on the school’s design, which was incorporated into the campus design. “This included the community’s culture and learning environment preferences for natural light, colors, indoor and outdoor learning spaces, and gathering spaces,” Barth says. “The school even used the meeting input to update its colors, logo, and branding, which created excitement and directed the final building. It’s truly the community’s school!”

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METROCENTER DEMOLITION STARTS; 95 PERCENT OF FAMED MALL TO BE REUSED MARK EDELMAN

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n May 2023, a “Farewell” event was held for Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix. As reported in ACC magazine at the time, the expectation was that demolition would commence during the upcoming summer and be followed by site redevelopment.

However, a change in state statute affected the project’s funding, and the residential component had to be revised from largely for-rent apartments to for-sale townhomes.

With that change being made, the project has been restarted at the demolition phase.

On the morning of November 18, 2024, leaders from the redevelopment team and

the City of Phoenix gathered near the new Thelda Williams Transit Center for a ceremonial kick-off of Metrocenter’s demolition and the next phase of the site’s redevelopment.

After the assembled dignitaries gave their speeches, City Councilwoman Ann O’Brien climbed into the cab of a Link-Belt 750 excavator, was given some basic instruction by the excavator’s operator, and proceeded to claw a hole into the side of the former Dillard’s store.

Although the ceremony marked the beginning of the visible demolition, Richard Miller, CEO/COO of demolition contractor Resource Environmental, Inc. (REI), reported that his company’s abatement and remediation teams have already been inside the mall for over two months addressing asbestos

and other environmental hazards, as well as salvaging components of the building’s heating and cooling systems, from the boilers and chillers to the freon gas inside them.

“Some of the jobs we get to, there’s nothing left but the building structure,” Miller says, “but (Metrocenter) had been secured really well, and everything was still inside.” At the time of the demolition ceremony, Miller estimated that REI had already removed 300 tons of debris and 100 tons of metal for processing and recycling.

On any given day, Southern California-based REI will have 12-25 personnel onsite conducting abatement and remediation and 8-10 employees dedicated to the building demolition itself. Because REI is both an environmental remediation and

Images Courtesy of Author

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skid steers, two reach forklifts, boom lifts, and two or three track loaders. Outside the building, the public will typically see five to eight excavators working with buckets, shearing, and multi-processing attachments on any given day. All of REI’s excavators are Link-Belt models, weighing 80,000 to 200,000 pounds. The Link-Belt 750 used for the demolition ceremony checks in at the top end of that range at 200,000 pounds.

While Metrocenter is not the most extensive or complex demolition that REI has performed, Miller said that he was familiar with the nostalgic significance of Metrocenter for his Arizona-based workers and Phoenix. He noted that there’s almost always someone with memories or nostalgia around a particular building. REI frequently receives and tries to accommodate requests to save some piece of the building as a memento.

During the demolition ceremony, a local resident who had emailed her memories of the mall to co-developer Concord Wilshire Capital was presented with one of Metrocenter’s distinctive blue floor tiles in memory of the good times she had there with her late father.

The site will be redeveloped when cleared and ready as the Valley’s largest mixed-use transit-oriented development.

The residential component, “The Metropolitan,” will consist of between 1,200 and 2,000 townhomes in three distinct neighborhoods, each targeted at different price points and buyer segments. The Loop, a retail, service, and restaurant promenade through the project’s center, will also be Images Courtesy of Author included. With demolition and site prepademolition contractor, its staff are cross- and outside the building. According to ration considered, project completion is trained and able to address unexpected Miller, interior equipment will include five estimated to be three to four years. environmental hazards they may encounter during the demolition without waiting for abatement/mitigation experts from another contractor.

Miller stated that the exterior demolition will begin in earnest at the beginning of December. The building will be down around the end of March 2025, and underground work to remove utilities and building footings will continue through August.

Throughout the demolition, Miller estimates that 95-98 percent of the building and site materials will be recycled for onsite reuse, including about 90,000 tons of concrete and 5,000 tons of steel. The concrete will be processed into a ¾”-minus base for the new development.

During the demolition, REI will have personnel and equipment working inside ARIZCC.COM

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HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE CEMENT AND CONCRETE TRUCKS LUKE M. SNELL, P.E.

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was taking my wife to lunch recently when a cement truck passed us, followed later by a concrete truck. Although I now live in Ohio, I remember fondly my time in Arizona and being a part of the thriving construction industry. How are cement and concrete related, and how are these materials transported in Arizona?

Arizona has three cement plants: CalPortland Rillito near Tucson, Drake Cement near Paulden, and Phoenix Cement in Clarkdale, operated by Salt River Materials Group. While important industries, few want a cement plant close by as they produce a lot of carbon dioxide and truck traffic.

Another source of cement in Arizona is from five terminals or storage facilities, where it is stored until needed. Companies like Hanson and Cemex have terminals, although they do not make cement in Arizona. The terminals are located near cities, which keeps the cement close to the need without the hassle of the manufacturing process.

Arizona is one of the top 10 states for producing ready-mixed concrete. Readymix operations include Arizona Materials, Diamondback Materials, Bajare, Cemex, CalPortland, and STS, though the latter only provides on-site concrete mixing.

Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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Image Courtesy of Author

Many may not recognize the difference between cement and concrete trucks.

Hence, we must go back to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision regarding a lawsuit about a cement plant. In this decision, they stated that “cement is to concrete as flour is to fruitcake.” This statement was to drive home the fact that cement is the powder (and the power) and is only a part of the final product—concrete. Concrete contains many ingredients, including cement, aggregates such as rocks and sand, water, chemicals called admixtures, and sometimes other materials.

So, when it comes to trucks, what are the differences?

Cement Trucks: Cement trucks, also called cement tankers, are tractor-trailers that deliver this material to ready-mixed concrete companies, which are also called batch plants. Their trucks will look like the ones that deliver gasoline; however, the cement trucks can be identified by the uneven underside of the trailer.

Concrete trucks: Once the cement is delivered to the ready-mixed company, the batch plant assembles the concrete by mixing the ingredients in the proper proportions. They then deliver it to the job sites in a concrete truck, where a contractor can use it to construct roads, buildings, sidewalks, and driveways. Most trucks are white with another color added, and the drums tend to be white to reduce heat buildup in the concrete during delivery. All have the company name and logo on the drum or the truck’s door.

Concrete trucks can be rear-discharge or front-discharge. The latter typically have a longer lifespan and are considered safer because the drivers can easily spot where they are to place the concrete. Rear-discharge trucks tend to be shorter, which allows the drivers greater maneuverability on job sites or when small loads of less than 10 cubic yards are needed.

So, the next time one of these trucks appears on the road, you can confidently identify it for your traveling companion.

Although if they’re not part of the industry, you might get the raised eyebrows look of, “Who cares?”

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AFTER THE FIRE: THE DANGERS OF WATER AND MOLD DAMAGE BRIAN SPECKHALS

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up to 15 to 16 gallons of water per minute.

That water needs to go somewhere, and that is often to areas we do not want it to go.

Consider what firefighters often need to do to extinguish a fire and save lives and property.

• Break windows and doors as a means of egress for occupants to escape.

• Cut open walls, ceilings, or the roof to allow heat or smoke to get out.

• They may also need to create a firebreak. Cutting a large trench between two roof trusses stops the fuel source and keeps the fire from expanding.

very 88 seconds, a fire department responds to a workplace fire in the U.S. To help prevent this scenario, Fire Prevention Week is held annually on the week of October 9 to raise awareness of fire hazards and promote fire safety practices in homes and workplaces.

Being prepared helps prevent fires and ensures swift recovery from unexpected damage that can occur during firefighting efforts. We’ve all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after The big takeaway is that a firefighting a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having team may need to cause some damage to full awareness of the different kinds of dam- save the larger property. age properties face can help people react Images Courtesy of Author faster, reducing continued damage and getting back on the road to recovery in short order.

Fire damage incidents require fast action by first responders. The fire department arrives with one objective at the forefront of mind: to save any people who are still in danger. This goal is accomplished by any means necessary, inevitably creating more property damage. Their second objective is to save what remains of the property and eliminate the risk of the fire spreading.

Property managers and building owners know to expect ash and rubble, but the continued damage created while extinguishing the flames is often overlooked. Firefighters shoot hundreds of gallons of water into a property every minute to douse a raging fire. Similarly, sprinkler systems can release ARIZCC.COM

Fire damage incidents quickly lead to water damage All the water used to extinguish flames rapidly develops a new problem – water damage. Once the water is added to the building, materials get wet, and the threat of mold growth starts to take hold within 24-48 hours. Mold gives off Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs). If these compounds make contact with specific individuals, they can make them sick.

Here are some responses you should consider. After a fire is extinguished, cover holes that were created to help smoke and heat escape so that if it rains, you aren’t dealing with a larger loss. Place air movers, dehumidifiers, and fans in adjacent areas to help dry out the space and keep it from spreading. Have generators brought to your site so you can generate power for day-today operations until the power is restored.

The key to overcoming fire-related disasters is swift, informed action. Property owners can take the necessary steps to minimize further harm and expedite recovery by understanding the full scope of fire, water, and mold damage. However, the best course of action is prevention.

Implementing fire safety measures and regularly maintaining equipment like smoke detectors and sprinkler systems can significantly reduce the fire risk. With a proactive approach and the right response plan, you can help ensure your property is back to normal as quickly and safely as possible.

Brian Speckhals is the Regional Director of Operations at First Onsite Property Restoration. He is a disaster recovery expert based in Savannah, Georgia.

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Back When

THE BRIDGE THAT BYPASSED AN ENGINEERING WONDER DOUGLAS TOWNE

“A

mericans can build great things,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told 20,000 spectators attending the dedication of the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge in the autumn of 2010. The workers who constructed the bridge “have left a legacy worthy of the people who built the dam 75 years ago,” he said.

This was high praise, indeed, for the $114 million Hoover Dam bypass bridge from the nation’s highest-ranking public transportation official. But Sean Holstege, a journalist for The Arizona Republic, captured

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an equally impressive tribute from another person in the crowd, Julie Rowe, who was gawking at the new structure. “I look up at the bridge and ask, ‘How did they build it?’ just like I look at the dam and ask, ‘How did they build it?’”

Hoover Dam, which impounded the Colorado River and began filling Lake Mead in 1936, is designated as one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.

Equally impressive, the new concrete arch bridge bypassing Hoover Dam is the nation’s second-highest bridge, only exceeded by the Royal Gorge Bridge, which was built over the Arkansas River in Colorado in 1929.

Opening ceremony festivities included students from Kingman singing the national anthem, Native American tribes performing a dance and dedication ceremony, and VIP seating for bridge workers and their

families. It seemed everyone involved in the project could enjoy the day, even regional planners who were already pushing for U.S. Highway 93, which went over the new bridge, to be upgraded and renamed Interstate 11, a scheme that remains in the planning stage.

Above: Plaque honoring the men the bridge is named after, 2012.

Below: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer speaking at the dedication of the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, 2010.

Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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BRIDGES OVER TROUBLED WATER-AND TRAFFIC: PHOENIX’S FREEWAY OVERPASSES

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DOUGLAS TOWNE

visitor might wonder, “Why do you even need bridges in Arizona?” They have a point, as the term “river” is essentially a titular position as it can be years between flows in many of the state’s waterways. Why not just drive across these often-dry riverbeds?

Yet bridges in Arizona have traditionally been vital infrastructure to move traffic over perennial waterways like the Colorado River, normally dry channels that flow after precipitation events, like the Salt River, and over deep gorges like Hells Canyon.

Bridges were later built for another purpose: to route freeway traffic over or under railroad tracks and surface roads. By the 1980s, bridges were constructed as multilevel interchanges designed to facilitate traffic flow where freeways intersected in congested urban areas like central Phoenix.

In 1987, Arizona started work on the state’s first mega-interchange, “The Stack,” which linked Interstate 10 (Papago Freeway), Interstate 17 (Black Canyon Freeway), and U.S. Highway 60 (Grand Avenue) west of Downtown Phoenix. The 82-foot-tall, earthquake-resistant structure was the most expensive road project in the state at the time. Completed in 1990, The Stack was the last major interchange built under the original Interstate Highway Act, which dates to 1956.

The Stack would succeed, though not everyone was comfortable with the finished creation. “When my brother-in-law drove my mom over the top ramp from I-17 to I-10 east right after it opened, she came close to having a heart attack,” says Phoenix native Wyatt James.

Other complex transportation infrastructure was underway in the Phoenix metro area. The Papago Freeway, a 15-mile loop through Phoenix that includes the Deck Park Tunnel, featured nine bridges built by Arizona-based M.M. Sundt Construction Co. to carry traffic over or under existing roadways and railroad tracks. Construction Tanner Companies constructs the I-10 bridge over the Salt River while, further east, Pulice Construction moves the earthwork for the Southbank Industrial Park, 1985.

Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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Left: AGC contractors during what Bill Kelton refers to as the “Freeway Construction Olympics.” Back row: Harold Ashton, Bill Pulice, Tom Royden, Karl Ronstadt, Carl Jacobson, Darrel Templeton, Bob Dent, Grant Lundgren, Leroy Breinholt, E.J. Johnson, and Richard E. Miller (l-r). Front row: Herb Tiffany, Jack Mason, Tedd Jones, Ron Pulice, Dick Miller, and Gene Forth (l-r).

Below: Nesbitt Contracting using a conveyor to move concrete to construct an overpass on U.S. 60, 1988.

“WHEN MY MOM WENT OVER THE TOP RAMP FROM I-17 TO I-10 EAST RIGHT AFTER IT OPENED, SHE CAME CLOSE TO HAVING A HEART ATTACK.” started in 1986. Each bridge was unique, but they all had retaining walls with a custom architectural pattern called rustication, specified by the Arizona Department

of Transportation. Five of the bridges consisted of spans of pre-cast I-girders along with cast-in-place walls tilted into place. The remaining four were cast-in-place, post-tensioned, box girder bridges.

For the project, M.M. Sundt pioneered soffit-fill construction, which replaced bridge falsework with temporary embankments because of their efficiency and safety.

“Today’s bridge projects are more complex Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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Above: Construction of the Outer Loop 101 overpass at Peoria Avenue, a joint venture of M.M. Sundt Construction and Kasler Corporation, 1987.

Right: Sundt Construction using a Caterpillar 988B loader to excavate material, which James Bond Trucking hauled, during construction of the Outer Loop 101, 1987.

Below: Nesbitt Contracting building a bridge overpass along U.S. 60, 1988.

and demanding than ever before,” Steve Floyd, M.M. Sundt project manager, told Southwest Contractor in 1986. “It takes experience, top-notch people, and the finest equipment available to complete the Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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projects on time and to the specifications required.”

Another bridge built during this period was by Tanner Companies on Interstate 10 over the Salt River in 1987. It replaced a

bridge that was only 25 years old. “It [the bridge] wasn’t designed for the new [interstate] system; there was an alignment change, and the old roadway just didn’t fit,” Don Weems, project supervisor for Tanner, told Southwest Contractor in 1987.

The Salt River bridge, part of the Papago Interchange, was notable for its large piers.

Case International drilled their shafts 125 feet below the riverbed, supported by reinforcing rod cages that weighed 42 pounds each and set in place with two 4100W Manitowoc cranes. Flowable concrete was pumped into the shafts surrounding the rebar. A standard concrete mix was used above ground.

The 208 girders used on the bridge were six feet high and 135 feet long. Two cranes lifted them into place onto rubber bearing caps. Tanner installed forms for the roadway, and 1.7 million pounds of rebar were laid before the concrete pour, according to Southwest Contractor. Ball, Ball, and Brosamer supplied the subsequent concrete, Five G. provided the guardrail, V.O. Contracting poured the curb and gutter, and Canyon Concrete Pipe handled the drainage.

After 10 months of work by 200 personnel, Tanner completed the Salt River bridge project in February 1988.

Another aspect of the Papago Freeway system was the “Elbow,” the segment between Third Street and the Maricopa Freeway, which was the section of Interstate 17 from the Durango Curve to The Split with Interstate 10. The $60 million project comprised a four-mile extension of Interstate 10 through Phoenix from Third Street to 20th Street. The Elbow started east and then made a 90-degree turn to the south ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

and continued until it tied into the Maricopa Freeway.

The Elbow project was a joint venture of M.M. Sundt and Kasler Corporation of San Bernadino, California, in 1988. The freeway segment included 13 bridges, 600,000 square feet of retaining wall, 11 miles of drainage pipe, two pump houses, three drop structures, pavement marking, and roadway lighting and signs. M.M. Sundt managed the project and did all the work except for the concrete paving.

M.M. Sundt completed the project’s 13 bridges in just five months. Kasler Corp. used three paving machines and mixed the concrete in its on-site batch plant to create the roadway, the largest paving operation undertaken at the time in Arizona.

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Above: M.M. Sundt Construction working at the I-10 bridge and Southern Pacific Railroad intersection, 1986.

Left: JWJ Contracting Co. building the 27th Avenue overpass at I-10, 1986.

One of the project’s many challenges was working in an urban area, which required fencing and security guards on duty at night and during weekends. At the peak of construction, 500 workers were on the site daily, yet the project had an excellent safety record.

“The Elbow was undoubtedly one of the most challenging jobs ever administered

by ADOT, not just in terms of size but also the speed at which the work took place,” Rod Curtis, ADOT engineer, told Southwest Contractor in 1988. “Sundt/Kasler did a fantastic job.”

These days, most motorists cruising through central Phoenix don’t give any thought to the roads, ramps, and bridges they’re driving over or under. This multitiered transportation infrastructure now seems commonplace. But in the late 1980s, these projects advanced the construction industry when available computer technology was much less advanced than today’s smartphone.

The contractors who built this infrastructure pioneered improved construction methods, pivoted to find more efficient ways to operate, met budgets, often completed projects ahead of time, and did so with an admirable safety record. These complex projects ran smoothly despite the vagaries of weather and supply chains and have held up for over three decades, a tribute to all who were involved.

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ARIZONA’S FLOATING CRANE: CONSTRUCTING THEODORE ROOSEVELT LAKE BRIDGE BILLY HORNER

I

t’s a familiar transportation story involving numerous historic bridges and highways.

The dated infrastructure was built at a time when vehicles were fewer, slower, and FIFTY FOUR

smaller. The bridges and roadways were narrow and not up to handling increased traffic and often long and heavy truck loads. One such logjam in Arizona’s highway system

was where State Route 188 crossed the top of Theodore Roosevelt Dam, the route motorists used while traveling between Payson and Globe.

The dam, finished in 1911, offered a tight 11-foot roadway, adequate for vehicles like the Ford Model T but the passage could only support one-way traffic in the 1980s. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation prioritized construction of a bridge to the north, just upstream of the dam across Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Concurrent with this JANUARY FEBRUARY 2025

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

bridge construction, the Theodore Roosevelt Dam was renovated and expanded to lessen the chances of the lake overtopping its impoundment.

The Arizona Department of Transportation considered two options for the Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge. Ron Brechler, ADOT’s Assistant State Engineer, explained that two sets of designs, one using concrete and the other steel, were prepared, with the latter option chosen.

“It was a matter of economics. The lowest ARIZCC.COM

bid submitted was for the steel alternate,” Brechler told Southwest Contractor in 1989.

Edward Kraemer & Sons was awarded the contract to construct the bridge in 1987.

This company, based in Plain, Wisconsin, had a long history in bridge construction dating back to the 1920s. Ironically, in 1911, the year Roosevelt Dam was completed, Edward Kraemer & Sons was founded.

The company’s $18.7 million contract was to build a 1,080-foot steel arch single-span structure. John Kraemer, the

A crane mounted on a barge works on the Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge, 1990.

grandson of founder Edward Kraemer, was the project manager. Kraemer told The Arizona Republic that he moved to Scottsdale in 1987 and commuted almost two hours daily for two months for a 10-hour construction shift. “Fortunately, I convinced my wife that commuting home Wednesday nights and for the weekend was a better long-term plan,” Kraemer said.

ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

The project’s engineers were Howard, Needles, Tammen, and Bergendoff, now called HNTB Corporation, a Kansas City, Missouri firm. Greiner Engineering performed resident engineering services, inspection, surveying, and materials testing. Greiner subcontracted material testing to Thomas Hartig & Associates.

Construction commenced in December 1987, with Edward Kraemer & Sons overseeing the roadway and structure excavation and installing the north approach substructure. The project involved erecting four precast concrete beam girder bridge structures at both ends of the roadways.

Ames Construction was responsible for roadway and structure excavation. Construction was challenging in the rocky conditions, exacerbated by the need to minimize vibrations near the existing dam with controlled drill-and-shoot methods. “Another unique challenge was that many borings for the bridge substructure units were not completed during the design phase due to the rugged mountain access,” Kraemer said.

“These borings ended up being included in the construction contract. All but two of the bridge substructure units were designed as spread footings, and they all required design modifications, creating significant delays.”

Left: Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge under construction by Kraemer & Sons, 1990.

Below: Kraemer & Sons employees during construction of Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge, 1990.

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Edward Kraemer & Sons subcontracted the structural steel arch erection to Broad, Vogt & Conant. The company planned to tie back the two temporary erection towers with a cable system, utilizing suspension cables salvaged from the Golden Gate Bridge. They subcontracted the erection to John F. Beasley Construction, which had a simpler tie-back system, so the Golden Gate cables weren’t utilized.

Two fatalities occurred during the project in a nearby community. “Two steel workers were shot and killed during a dispute in Punkin Center,” Glenn Carter, an engineer for Greiner Engineering, told the Republic.

Above: A barge-mounted crane works on the bridge, 1989.

Right: An Associated General Contractors (AGC) safety committee visiting the bridge project: Hal Salem, Dick Cole, Richard Couillard, John Kraemer, and Rob Padilla (l-r), 1988.

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ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

The bridge’s steel arch pieces, whose base sections weighed 90 tons and got progressively lighter from end to center, were fabricated by Pitt-Des Moines in Orange, Texas, and assembled using thousands of bolts. John F. Beasley Construction, based in Texas, erected the arch sections using a massive 300-ton Manitowoc 4100 ringer crane mounted on a barge in Theodore Roosevelt Lake.

The bridge’s completion in October 1990 featured a grand dedication ceremony

attended by Governor Rose Mofford and thousands of spectators. “The bridge is very important for our state. People in Gila County will no longer feel separated by northern and southern sections,” Mofford told the Republic. An 8-year-old from Claypool won a raffle held by the Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce and accompanied Mofford in a 1915 car as the first two motorists to cross the bridge.

The Roosevelt Lake Bridge, initially painted blue to blend with its surroundings,

has since faded to white. Its innovative design became North America’s longest two-lane, single-span, steel-arch bridge. In 1995, the American Consulting Engineers Council named it one of the nation’s top 12 bridge designs.

The $21.3 million Roosevelt Bridge project exemplifies the successful collaboration between government agencies, engineering firms, and construction companies to address critical transportation needs and enhance travelers’ safety.

Above: Theodore Roosevelt Lake Bridge nears completion, 1990.

Below: John Kraemer, 1988.

Right: John Kraemer and fellow employees during a desert survival course, 1988.

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ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

Images Courtesy of Carol Highsmith

BYPASSING HOOVER DAM:

THE MIKE O’CALLAGHAN-PAT TILLMAN MEMORIAL BRIDGE DOUGLAS TOWNE

R

eplacing a legend is never easy. Just ask the coaches who succeeded Vince Lombardi in the NFL or John Wooden in college basketball. While both icons were incredibly successful in their fields, they were never called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Hoover Dam, however, has received such an accolade and has even been compared to the Great Pyramids of Egypt.

While the massive concrete gravity-arch dam remains an engineering marvel, one aspect of Hoover Dam hasn’t aged as well: the two-lane road designated U.S. Highway 93 that went over the dam’s top connecting Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1936, the route served its purpose admirably, linking the upshot little gambling town of Las Vegas with the lightly populated Grand Canyon State.

It was one of America’s most scenic routes, taking wide-eyed motorists over Hoover Dam to view the blue waters of the Colorado River impounded in Lake Mead SIXTY

and the Art Deco infrastructure associated with this Great Depression-era construction project. As the region’s population dramatically increased after World War II, however, this picturesque stretch over the dam and the switchbacks leading down to it became a vehicle bottleneck.

There were no easy solutions to expanding the roadway, so solving traffic woes necessitated a dramatic new construction project. The replacement infrastructure, the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which spans the Colorado River just downstream of Hoover Dam, is almost as spectacular as the dam.

Here is the story of one of the Southwest’s most remarkable 21st-century construction projects, a fitting successor to the famous roadway it replaced.

Transportation officials recognized the traffic issues created by routing U.S. 93 over Hoover Dam as far back as 1968. However, 28 studies on a Hoover Dam Bypass

were conducted until Arizona, Nevada, and federal agencies agreed on an alternative Colorado River crossing in 2001. The chosen path spanned Black Canyon, located 1,500 feet downstream of Hoover Dam. The Sugarloaf Mountain Alternative, as the project was known, added 1.1 miles of roadway in Arizona and 2.2 miles in Nevada with a bridge more than 1,000 feet long.

Another traffic complication occurred before construction could begin. In 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, a security checkpoint was set up at Hoover Dam, further delaying travel. Commercial truck traffic was detoured 70 miles downriver, taking an alternative route along State Route 68 from Kingman to Bullhead City and U.S. Highway 95 to Nevada 163 through Searchlight, Nevada.

Meanwhile, the Hoover Support team, led by HDR, Inc., including T.Y. Lin International and Sverdrup Civil, designed the project. In 2003, a consortium of government agencies and contractors started construction on the bridge approaches, and two years later, work began on the bridge.

These entities included the Federal Highway Administration, the Arizona Department of Transportation, and the Nevada Department of Transportation. RE JANUARY FEBRUARY 2025

Image Courtesy of Douglas Towne

Left: The Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, 2018.

Top: U.S. Highway 93 approaching Hoover (or Boulder) Dam, 1936.

Above: Nameplate on the Mike O’CallaghanPat Tillman Memorial Bridge, 2018.

Right: Pedestrian walkway on the 2010 Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, 2018.

Below: The Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge with Hoover Dam in the background, 2018.

Monks Construction and Vastco, Inc. constructed the Arizona approach, and Edward Kraemer & Sons, Inc. constructed the Nevada approach. Las Vegas Paving Corporation undertook the roadway surfacing on both approaches. Obayashi Corporation and PSM Construction USA built the bridge, while Frehner Construction Company, Inc. Images Courtesy of Carol Highsmith

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completed the final roadway installations.

This challenging project moved forward slowly, complicated by high winds, heat, and construction on sheer rock. Reaching the bridge construction site required almost two years of work, using dynamite and heavy machinery to build short stretches of highway over rugged terrain. The project was

delayed two years when wind gusts toppled bridge rigging in 2006.

Dave Zanetell of the Federal Highway Administration, who managed the complex undertaking that included 1,200 construction workers and 300 engineers, says they always looked upstream for inspiration.

“If any of us had a day when we felt tired or run-down or in doubt, working in the shadow of that dam really helped,” he told The Arizona Republic in 2010. “Hoover Dam was the greatest engineering triumph in our nation’s history. We had an opportunity to be as great for our generation.”

After geologic studies revealed that the canyon walls would be strong enough to support the foundations for a bridge, David Goodyear, chief bridge engineer at TY Lin International, designed one that would withstand a 1,000-year earthquake.

Goodyear’s creation was a twin-ribbed arch, two parallel arches joined by ten horizontal struts to provide strength against potential side-to-side movements of an earthquake. “Seven pairs of concrete columns rise from the slopes of the canyon’s rock walls, and a series of eight more pairs were built atop the finished semicircle arch once it spanned the river,” he told the Republic. “The columns would be ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

Left: Hoover Dam Visitor Center and the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge from Hoover Dam, 2018.

Above: Plaques commemorating Mike O’Callaghan and Pat Tillman on the bridge, 2018.

Below: Rock anchors stabilize the hillsides on each side of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, 2018.

prefabricated concrete blocks stacked like enormous Legos. The segments of the arch were poured in place midair.”

The two bridge segments began 1,060 feet apart, and amazingly, when they met, they were just three-eighths of an inch from being perfect.

After six years, the Hoover Dam Bypass was completed in 2010, within the $240 million budget, with the bridge costing $114 million. The bridge became the first concrete-steel composite deck arch built in the U.S. and the nation’s second-highest bridge, soaring 890 feet above the Colorado River.

Architects initially planned an Art Deco style for the span. Arizona historical preservation officials objected, saying they didn’t want to emulate Hoover Dam but complement it. “The bridge isn’t much without the site,” Goodyear said humbly. “It’s just a fabulous setting.”

The bridge honors two individuals.

Mike O’Callaghan was the Governor of Nevada from 1971-1979 and the Las Vegas Sun newspaper editor for many years until he died in 2004. Pat Tillman played football for Arizona State University and the Arizona Cardinals but retired to enlist in the U.S. Army and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004.

Although the design focused on vehicle traffic, a pedestrian pathway was included.

The views of Hoover Dam are unmatched but be prepared for a blustery surprise. “The wind blowing over the edge will take you off guard,” says truck driver Erv Rowley.

The opening of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge in SIXTY TWO

2010 came none too soon, as an estimated 15,000 vehicles crossed Hoover Dam daily, which created mounting traffic delays.

The opening of the bypass impacted other roadways in Arizona. The Arizona approach to Hoover Dam was closed, allowing access only from Nevada. U.S. 93 was improved south of the new bridge as part of its proposed conversion to Interstate 11, which is planned to run from Nogales, Arizona, to Reno, Nevada.

One unique aspect of the highway improvement was constructing the state’s first overpass to protect the Black Mountains’ bighorn sheep herd in northwestern Arizona. The overpass reduces habitat fragmentation—which splits the herd apart and diminishes overall genetic viability—and

decreases the number of vehicle collisions with wildlife, making the highway safer for motorists. According to the Arizona Game & Fish Department, designers selected an overpass because bighorn sheep are reluctant to use underpasses due to their vulnerability to predators.

Even with the improved transportation infrastructure, drivers continue to pull crazy stunts to cut a few minutes off their trip on U.S. 93, whether heading north to Las Vegas, thinking they have Lady Luck riding shotgun, or, conversely, heading back to Arizona despondent about their time in Lost Wages. At least the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge makes the scenic trip easier in both directions.

Images Courtesy of Carol Highsmith

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BRIDGING HELL CANYON:

A STATE ROUTE 89 PROJECT WITH SOME WICKED DEPTHS PETER CORBETT

A

C/DC has its song “Highway to Hell.”

Arizona has its Highway to Hell Canyon. That is State Route 89 north of Chino Valley. Conveniently, a bridge over Hell Canyon was completed in September 2016. It replaced the 1954 span, which cost $325,000 to build.

The $14.4 million Hell Canyon Bridge near Drake has been carrying traffic on the

state highway connecting Prescott and Ash Fork for over eight years. The traffic counts on State Route 89 over the bridge have increased from about 3,400 per day in 2016 to 4,815 in 2022, the most recent figure.

The newer span is 47 feet wide and 665 feet long, nearly as long as two football fields. It’s 17 feet wider and 65 feet longer than the 1954 bridge. According to

ADOT, the 2016 bridge is expected to last 75 years. That estimate is based on bridge design specifications from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

In a report, the Arizona Department of Transportation said the 62-year-old bridge was “structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, which rehabilitation cannot address.” The design lifespan of the old bridge was described as a half-century, which it exceeded by a dozen years.

Above: Hell Canyon Bridge that opened in 1954.

Below: The replacement Hell Canyon Bridge that opened in 2016.

Images Courtesy of Author

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Images Courtesy of ADOT

Construction of Hell Canyon Bridge, 2016.

Ames Construction Inc. was the general contractor on the Hell Canyon Bridge.

Ames is based in Burnsville, Minnesota, but the company has a local office in Scottsdale.

Other contractors included Olsen Beal Associates Corp. of Lindon, Utah, Ground Level Demolition of Mesa, Arizona, and Controlled Demolition Inc. of Phoenix, Maryland.

Prior to building the new bridge, crews carved roads into the adjacent steep hillsides so cranes and other heavy equipment could reach the bottom of the 100-footdeep canyon. Those hillsides were reclaimed after construction and replanted, leaving virtually no trace of the roads.

The old bridge, just west of the new bridge, was used to set 115,000-pound girders on the replacement span. The project started in July 2015 and involved rerouting State Route 89 slightly to the east.

The new bridge uses a four-span steelplate girder with two concrete abutments and three concrete piers. The old Hell Canyon Bridge was a six-span steel-deck truss, according to ADOT spokesman Garin Groff.

The old bridge was demolished in September 2016. After removing the deck, the demolition contractors set off a series of explosions that caused the steel framework to fold in on itself and tumble to the bottom of Hell Canyon.

The most recent inspection of the new bridge was on August 7, 2023. Groff said the bridge was rated to be in good condition.

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Images Courtesy of ADOT

Looking back, Arizona state historian Marshall Trimble wrote in his book Roadside History of Arizona that the 1954 bridge “took the thrill out of the drive through Hell Canyon. Today, motorists glide by, hardly noticing the deep chasm.”

That’s even more true of the 2016 Hell Canyon Bridge since motorists cannot see into the canyon while crossing the bridge.

A small sign on each side of the bridge is the only clue that a motorist is traversing a canyon that bedeviled early travelers in Territorial Arizona.

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In the 1860s, Hell Canyon was a formidable obstacle. In 1863, Judge Joseph Allyn, who served as one of the original Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Arizona Territory, called it “the most infernal canyon for wagons I have seen yet,” adding that travelers used ropes to help maneuver wagons down and out of the canyon.

Trimble wrote that he first traveled through Hell Canyon in 1947. The road followed an old stagecoach route with a steep drop on both sides. “I believe the highway was paved during the 1930s, about the

Above: Construction of Hell Canyon Bridge, 2016.

same time as the final paving of Route 66 at Ash Fork. On the east side was a hairpin that caused the wreck of many a driver who couldn’t make the curve and crashed.”

Of course, everything is relative when discussing “hell” in the West. Hell Canyon in Arizona is a mere gully compared to Hells Canyon in Idaho and Oregon, North America’s deepest gorge with a maximum depth of 7,900 feet.

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CROSSING THE SALT RIVER:

CONSTRUCTION OF THE LOOP 202’S MILE-LONG BRIDGE BILL KELTON

“A

re you sure we have a good number?” Wilson Sundt asked as he peered over my shoulder at the Quattro Pro spreadsheet on my computer screen. Prompted by my announcement that our in-house estimate to build bridge girders was lower than any of the quotes we had received, his question echoed in my brain because I knew that none of us had ever built Type VI bridge girders, much less over 800 of them.

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Wilson was a decisive leader at Sundt Corp., and he expected that same characteristic in the team. So, I responded affirmatively with all the confidence I could muster. Wilson glanced at me and then at our division manager and said, “Well, I guess we're in the girder business now.”

What I consider to be the Freeway Construction Olympics of the 1980s and 1990s resulted from the long overdue funding of mass transportation in the Valley. ADOT was releasing projects at an unprecedented

pace, and many larger contractors were locked in intense competition for the work and the resources needed for the projects.

Those resources included steel, concrete, aggregates, equipment, and labor.

Sundt and Tanner Companies were fierce competitors on larger projects.

In 1992, our team at Sundt had just lost a large project on I-10 to Tanner. Then, despite swinging hard at the new projects, we lost the second Mill Avenue Bridge Project to Edward Kraemer & Sons. When ADOT advertised the Mile Long Bridge project, our deflated team was convinced Tanner would have multiple advantages because they owned concrete ready mix and girder manufacturing companies.

The Mile Long Bridge is Loop 202 from approximately McClintock Road to the

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Loop 101 interchange. It goes across what is now Tempe Town Lake in the Salt River channel. This project was unique for Arizona because it was more of a causeway constructed in Louisiana marshes than a normally dry riverbed crossing. Most river crossings are between 3 and 7 spans, but the Mile Long Bridge was nearly 40 spans long and more than 50 feet above the riverbed in some places. Each of approximately Far left: The 140-foot-long AASHTO Type VI bridge girders were constructed in the two casting beds (center of the photo) in Salt River Material’s yard on McKellips Road, 1995.

Left: Four workers pose by a concrete truck during construction, 1995.

Below: Action Ready-Mix concrete mixers staged for a bridge pour, 1995.

Bottom: Girder preparation facing west towards Phoenix, 1995.

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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80 concrete pier caps sits atop two concrete columns that are 10 feet in diameter and hollow inside. Most of those columns sit on drilled shafts or caissons that are also 10 feet in diameter and penetrate about 140 feet below the river bottom.

Under the creative leadership of Vice President Ken Brunker and vigorous cheerleading from Division Manager Steve Lewis and Chairman Wilson Sundt, the bid team rolled up our sleeves and stepped up to prepare and submit the lowest bid for the project. The bid included unprecedented Below: Concrete columns atop four pier caps, 1994.

Bottom: Concrete columns and pier caps awaiting girders, 1994.

strategies and risks, but the Sundt organization was open to new ideas if well-planned.

Some strategies involved forming systems for the big columns and superstructure decking, but the most daring was planning to build a facility to produce the 140-footlong AASHTO Type VI bridge girders nearby in Salt River Material’s yard on McKellips Road.

Tanner’s girder facility, located west of Downtown Phoenix, was the only local site capable of producing the 880 girders required for the bridge. These concrete girders were 140 feet long, 6 feet high, and weighed around 70 tons each. Our logic was that the transportation cost for Tanner would offset our cost of building and supplying from a girder facility located where we

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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Above: Construction facing east from the Salt River bottom at McClintock Drive, 1994.

Left: Tapered rebar skeleton of a pier cap awaiting concrete column, 1994.

could haul off-highway along the riverbank directly to the bridge site.

While we significantly underestimated the cost of building the girder yard, the strategy had the stars aligned as Salt River flooding in the spring of 1993 delayed the project’s start. Long-time Valley residents probably remember the TV footage of Kraemer’s Mill Avenue bridge falsework collapsing in the unusually high river flows.

The delayed start gave Sundt’s MLB team time to work with Dan Heller at T.Y. Lin Engineers to develop a value engineering proposal. This plan would have us building taller but fewer girders while constructing ARIZCC.COM

the bridge. This decrease in girder numbers lowered the bridge's weight and subsequently allowed for the shortening of some drilled shafts.

While shortening the shafts may sound insignificant, drilling 10-foot diameter shafts 140 feet through the large cobbles beneath the Salt River was difficult. Our drilling subcontractor, Case/Anderson, JV, was the absolute expert at this type of work, so that portion of the project went well. Still, there were some issues, like PVC monitoring tubes melting from the heat of the curing concrete, which can be expected when drilling over 150 shafts in challenging conditions.

Dan Spitza was charged with building the girder facility and producing an average of three girders daily with enough lead time to ensure the girder erection crews ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Above: Construction looking northeast from McClintock Drive and the Salt River, showing bridge progress, with the now demolished Scottsdale Six Drive-In theater at the left in the distance, 1994.

Left: Action Ready-Mix truck delivering concrete during bridge pumping phase, 1994.

would not catch the production. Although none of us had built a precast facility, much less built prestressed girders, Dan diligently recruited some of the industry’s best consultants to help with the facility design and girder production process. Ultimately, the girder production was a huge success, and we even produced girders for Sundt’s State Route 87 Beeline Project and another contractor’s project on State Route 347.

With large concrete projects, reusing forming materials and systems is a key element in lowering costs. Ken Brunker and the project staff worked with the forming manufacturer to build custom column forms for SEVENTY TWO

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the hollow columns. The inside form was designed to collapse on itself when picked from the top with a crane. The motion is similar to removing the cardboard tube from the center of a roll of paper towels without damaging the tube. But this tube was 10 feet in diameter, 40 feet long, and made of steel. This brilliant system allowed the column crew to be highly productive both in terms of time per column and manpower.

The second forming challenge was the decking for the bridge deck between the girders. A wood system is usually the most cost-effective with no traffic below because you can reuse the wood many times versus a stay-in-place system where the steel plate is left behind. The problem with this bridge was the 40-to-50-foot height above the cobbled river bottom.

Dropping or crashing the forming from above would destroy the forms and be dangerous. The team creatively built a platform that could be raised and lowered from the bridge deck so that they would winch it up to the bottom of the girders. Since the girders were over 6 feet tall, the crew could work between them to drop the forming and then lower the forms gently to the ground, ready for their next cycle. Workers could only be on the platform when it was locked off to the girders or sitting firmly on the ground for safety reasons.

Logistics on these projects are crucial to success. When the “operation train” rolls out, you have drilled shafts at the lead, followed by the hollow columns and pier caps, and finally, the girders, diaphragms, decking, and edge barrier superstructure. Each operation requires a survey, quality control, and rebar installation. At mid-project, nearly all these activities happen simultaneously, so the scheduling for cranes, concrete pumps, man-lifts, ready-mix trucks, and ready-mix plants can go foul quickly.

Sundt’s team, along with the drilling, rebar, survey, and major suppliers, rose to an impressive level and completed the project successfully. ADOT, Salt River Material, and T.Y. Lin Engineering further reinforced these accomplishments with cooperation and participation.

So next time you drive across Tempe Town Lake on the 202, think about everything that went into providing that Mile Long Bridge. As a bonus, look up at the powerlines that cross near McClintock Road and imagine large crane booms sticking up near these lines and the caution necessary to avoid disaster.

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SALUTING ARIZONA’S BUILDERS: JED BILLINGS DOUGLAS TOWNE

L

ongtime Phoenix contractor Steve Basila said it best. “If there’s an Arizona Construction Hall of Fame, Jed Billings should be in it.” And that’s despite a slight misunderstanding between the two men when they first met in 1977.

Billings hired Basila into the industry, working for D.C. Speer Construction after the latter had graduated from Arizona State University. “Billings asked if the going rate for a construction graduate was $5 an hour,” Basila says. “And I set him straight by saying, ‘No way, it’s $7 an hour!’”

The pair would work together for five years at the company, and Basila describes his time with Billings as rewarding. “I was amazed at Jed’s tenacity and ability to think outside the box,” Basila says. “Jed was an aggressive decision-maker, sometimes a little too aggressive for my style.”

Basila recalls that Billings once wanted him to write a claim letter, to which he

disagreed. “When Jed asked why I had set it up for his signature, I said, ‘I don’t want to sign it.’ He responded, ‘I’ll sign the SOB!’” Billings was a knowledgeable businessman with top-notch crushing and paving expertise. “Jed’s also an accomplished estimator and helped kickstart my estimating career, which later led to a Chief Estimating position and subsequent President/COO position at Pulice Construction,” Basila says.

He credits Billings with significantly

contributing to the heavy highway industry, serving as Chairman of the Association of General Contractors (AGC), and playing a major role in passing the first Maricopa County half-cent transportation tax bill in 1984 to continue freeway, street, and light rail for the next 20 years.

But then, Billings had always seemed to be at the head of the class and then some during his contracting career. His reputation started when he enrolled in a heavy construction estimating class at ASU taught by Jack Mason, VP/chief estimator for Phoenix’s Fisher Contracting. Billings, then a senior in construction management, also worked full-time at D.C. Speer with an experienced mentor, Gary Crisp. A month into the course, Speer and Fisher competed bidding on an expansion project for Ford Motor Company test facilities in Yucca, Arizona. Speer edged out Fisher’s bid to win the contract.

“What are you doing in my class, and what more can you learn from me?” Mason asked Billings in front of his classmates afterward. Billings nailed an “A” in the class but humbly admitted D.C. Speer would have been better off financially if Fisher had been the low bidder.

Billings worked 13 years with D.C. Speer.

“I enjoyed the freedom and responsibility Don Speer gave me to build and develop a great team,” he recalled to ACC magazine in 2022.

In 1982, D.C. Speer’s crushing and paving operations were purchased by M.M. Sundt, which retained some employees, including Billings. “We all knew the Sundt heavy construction management team since we were their primary paving sub-contractor Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Above: First-place team at AGC Golf Tournament: Craig Starkey, Arizona Portland Cement; Jed Billings, FNF; Warren Cays, FNF; and John Kennedy, Century Machinery (l-r), 1990s.

Right: AGC Committee Consolidated Joint Corp Commission: Bill Brake, Navajo Western Asphalt; Steve Lewis, Sundt; Jed Billings, FNF; and Larry Ashton (l-r), 1994.

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Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

on numerous projects before the purchase,” he said.

But bigger plans were in Billing’s future.

In 1984, Senior Project Manager Bruce Forth, Senior Project Manager Terry Neff, and General Superintendent Gene Forth left Sundt to start FNF Construction,” Billings recalled. “I joined FNF on April Fool’s Day in 1986.”

Billings says that FNF put together an outstanding management team but was undercapitalized to bond any substantial work. Still, the company built a large portion Above: Jed and Marie Billings at AGC Annual Election Meeting, 1991.

Below: Jed Billings, 2022.

Bottom right: FNF Construction doing bridgework, 1990s.

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of the Biosphere in Oracle, Arizona, and completed three ADOT projects as a joint venture with Morrison-Knudsen’s non-union company, totaling $45 million on I-40 near Flagstaff.

After increasing its bonding capacity with an outside investor, FNF expanded operations into California, Nevada, and New Mexico as a general contractor. Soon afterward, Bruce Forth died in a tragic auto accident, Gene Forth retired, and Terry Neff remained as Chairman of the Board until his passing in 1992. Billings became FNF president in 1987 and brought on board former colleagues from M.M. Sundt, including Matt Gully, who became COO, and numerous ASU construction management graduates who are a majority of FNF’s current operational

management team, helping the company continuously grow its annual revenue.

In 1999, FNF was the low bidder on the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s largest project at that time: rebuilding 50 miles of New Mexico Highway 44, now U.S. Highway 550, from Cuba west towards Farmington, NM. “This $100 million, high elevation, multi-phased project involving one million tons of high-quality asphalt product was completed in two seasons,” Billings said. “This remains the largest single asphalt paving project in the Southwest.”

In 2005, the company won the prestigious Sheldon G. Hayes Award for the #1 paving project in the U.S., the 10-mile I-40 project from Joseph City to Holbrook, Arizona.

Billings retired from FNF operations in 2016 but remained on its board for a few years. FNF continues to grow nationwide as a full-service contractor that builds infrastructure, supplies construction materials, and manages complex projects. The firm’s impressive ability to self-perform a great deal of its work, including structures, aggregate supply, and asphalt paving, has led to its incredible success. Billings is most proud of the management excellence and commitment to teamwork, which continues to thrive within the company.

Despite the competitive nature of Billings and Basila in chasing the same freeway work with FNF and Pulice in Arizona throughout their careers, their legacy has led to the two firms working together through a joint venture arrangement to build one of ADOT’s largest mega projects—the $650 million I-10 Broadway Curve project.

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OLD SCHOOL EQUIPMENT:

EARLY SELF-PROPELLED BOOM CRANES WITHIN ARIZONA BILLY HORNER

T

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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he 1960s saw the debut of a self-propelled, four-wheeled machine with an attached boom arm, marking the advent of modern boom cranes in the construction industry. These machines, sometimes called “cherry pickers,” were designed to lift workers to high, hard-toreach places.

However, as Ken Lendermon notes in his article “A Brief History of Boom Lifts,” for a machine to be classified as a true cherry picker, it must be towed into position, unlike a boom lift, which is self-propelled. Furthermore, a cherry picker is equipped with a bucket or lift platform for a worker instead of the hook typically found at the end of a crane’s boom. Traditional cranes had a lattice boom arm, typically

controlled by cables, whereas a boom crane arm was solid and had a hydraulic extension.

Traditional cranes were often mounted on tracks or over large, multi-axle road truck platforms.

Here’s an overview of some early boom crane models popular in Arizona and the companies and projects that utilized them. Companies increasingly used these machines throughout the 1970s, and they remain an essential element of construction equipment today.

Left: A Grove machine used on FNF Construction’s Mogollon Rim Road project, 1987.

Below: Tucson’s New Pueblo Constructors using an AW crane to assist with machine repairs on a Cat 631 scraper during road construction on Campbell Avenue, 1972.

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Early Boom Crane Innovations and Key Manufacturers One of the pioneers in aerial lift development was John L. Grove, who, along with his brother Dwight, founded Grove Manufacturing Co. in the late 1940s. As noted on Wikipedia, Grove Manufacturing became known for producing self-propelled aerial lifts. After John Grove was removed from his leadership role at the company, he partnered with a colleague to create Condor Industries, which eventually became JLG Industries, a leading name in today’s boom lift industry.

In the 1970s, Empire Machinery Co. became the official Grove dealer in Arizona, according to an article in Arizona New Mexico Contractor and Engineer magazine.

Empire launched a “Grove Days” event to introduce its lines to contractors.

Another key player in the boom crane market was the Pettibone Company, founded in Chicago in 1881. Initially focused on railroad products, Pettibone expanded into high lifts and boom cranes. Their

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Arizona dealer was Superior Equipment Company at 2221 South 19th Avenue. By the early 1970s, the dealership changed hands, with Equipment Sales Company (ESCO) at 720 South 19th Avenue becoming the local distributor.

In addition to Grove and Pettibone, Austin Western, founded in Illinois in 1877, was another critical manufacturer in the boom crane market. The Arizona dealer for Austin Western was Western Machinery Company (WEMCO), which had multiple locations across the state. A 1970 WEMCO advertisement highlighted the Austin Western 410 SR Hydraulic Lift Crane, a model designed for underground pipe contractors. This machine featured a telescoping boom with

360-degree rotation and an impressive 68-foot reach, making it ideal for various heavy-lifting applications.

Today, boom cranes are indispensable tools for constructing Arizona high-rise buildings, highways, and bridges.

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Above: Morrison Knudsen using an AW crane to assist with the corrugated pipe on Interstate 40 near Flagstaff, 1966.

Below: The Henry C. Beck Co. using a Pettibone boom lift during Valley Center construction, 1969.

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HAVE AN IDEA FOR A CONSTRUCTION OR HISTORY ARTICLE? CONTACT US: BILLY HORNER, PUBLISHER: BILLY@ARIZCC.COM DOUGLAS TOWNE, EDITOR: DOUGLAS@ARIZCC.COM VISIT US ONLINE AT: WWW.ARIZCC.COM ARIZCC.COM

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BUILDING ON THE PAST

1987 – WESTBROOK EXPANDS INTERSTATE 17 IN NORTH PHOENIX BILLY HORNER

I

n 1983, Westbrook Construction, a Denver-based company, entered the Arizona construction market. Their first major job was building a 24-story post-modern skyscraper designed by the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architectural firm for Oxford Properties. This high-rise, initially known as the Great American Tower, would become the city’s sixth tallest building at 3200 North Central Avenue, just north of Park Central Mall. Westbrook further solidified its local presence by completing the $2.8 million Mustang Library in Scottsdale in 1986.

Following their successful ventures in building construction, Westbrook Construction then set their sights on transportation

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projects. This shift was evident in the firm’s newspaper advertisements seeking project managers for bridge and heavy highway work.

In 1987, Westbrook made a significant move by securing the lowest bid among 10 competitors for a $7.8 million, 10-month project widening a two-mile stretch of I-17 from four lanes to eight lanes between Thunderbird and Bell roads. This expansion added two additional lanes of travel in both directions, plus one distress lane. The I-17 expansion project was a complex undertaking that involved a range of tasks, including widening bridges at the Bell and Greenway interchanges and building a new bridge

over the Arizona Canal and Arizona Canal Diversion Channel. The project also encompassed installing new signage and enhancing shoulder landscaping along the expanded interstate.

According to an article in The Arizona Republic, a $47 million contract at Sky Harbor Airport was awarded to PCL/Westbrook Construction in 1989. The story noted that PCL/Westbrook were the general contractors on high-rises at 3200 and 3300 North Central Avenue. By 1990, Westbrook and its two divisions, PCL Construction Services and PCL Civil Constructors, were not mentioned further in the newspaper.

Below: Westbrook Construction working on a bridge just north of the Arizona Canal, facing south on I-17 with Golf N’ Stuff on the right, 1987.

Top right: Facing northbound on I-17 at the Bell Road overpass, 1987.

Right: Westbrook employees string lining ABC before paving, 1987.

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Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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P

edestrian bridges have existed for centuries and enable people to traverse canals, waterways, deep canyons, and within parks and gardens. They were constructed with various materials, from lightweight wood and rope to suspended steel cabling and concrete planks. Such bridges often had innovative structural systems that dramatically expressed themselves by spanning across great voids and distances.

Many pedestrian bridges have been designed and constructed in Arizona in recent years. These walkways allow pedestrians to avoid vehicular traffic so they can move safely across and above wide and often hazardous streets and highways. The design and engineering teams for these walkways usually have members who are architects and public artists to assist in elevating the design quality. Let us look at a few examples in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Architect’s Perspective: Pedestrian Bridges Making Connections Doug Sydnor, FAIA Doug_sydnor@outlook.com In 1998, the Mountain Pass Bridge at the State Route 51 and Nisbet Road in north Phoenix was completed. It has a striking profile that is a metaphorical reference to the surrounding mountain ranges and communicates this intention convincingly. Constructed of standard galvanized steel piping and chain link fencing, it has been transformed into an elegant art piece.

The bridge has an ephemeral quality with a chain link as a scrim wrapper, which filters the intense light and provides a safe

envelope for people crossing. Its placement facilitates a functional connection between residential neighborhoods on the freeway’s east and west sides.

The team responsible for the bridge is Laurie Lundquist, the public artist, SVR Engineering, Bolduc, Smiley & Associates, and the Arizona Department of Transportation.

This is part of a series of Phoenix pedestrian bridges that included public artists and is, I believe, one of the most successful. The project budget was $245,882, which is probably for the steel piping and chain link structure portion only.

In 2007, the Marshall Way Bridge opened at the Arizona Canal in Old Town Scottsdale. The bridge incorporates a 9,500-square-foot multi-use plaza for pedestrian use, trolley access, and public events linked to Old Town’s Fifth Avenue to the south and the Waterfront development and Scottsdale Fashion Square to the north. The bridge is flared with a wider dimension to the south, narrower to the north, and open on all sides.

The main structure comprises exposed steel tubes supported by clusters of four thin steel tube columns with cantilevered framing sections suspended by diagonal cabling from tall steel masts. This structural

Images Courtesy of Author

Mountain Pass Bridge, 1998.

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Image Courtesy of Steve Martino

approach provides a dramatic profile against the sky as one approaches the bridge from both ends. Special features include copper planters at the side guardrails, water features, and a grand plaza on Fifth Avenue.

The concrete bridge is reinforced by carbon fiber to maintain a slim profile and provide easier access under the bridge for maintenance. Over time, public art pieces and installations have been integrated into this urban infrastructure development. The architect was John Douglas, FAIA, of Douglas Architects, and the landscape architect was Steve Martino, FASLA.

In 2011, the City of Tempe James Elmore Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge was completed. It rests at the west end of the Tempe Town Lake along the Salt River. The concept of transforming the often-dry Salt River into a 40-mile linear riparian area with recreational amenities and water features began with an Arizona State University architectural design studio in 1966. The studio vision of the Rio Salado Project included flood control, recreation, and economic development for the neighboring entities of Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Previously, the Salt River was a divisive feature used mainly for industrial uses in the Valley, which physically split these municipalities apart. Rio Salado was a unifying asset, bringing the affected communities together. The focus was Tempe Town Lake, which was to be two miles long, 800 to 1,200 feet wide, covering about 220 surface acres. The lake was created by impounding the Salt River with a rubber dam at the west end, which was replaced with a steel gate system in 2014. Tempe Town Lake runs from McClintock Road to Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway to Curry Road. Activities Above: Marshall Way Bridge, 2007.

Left and below: James Elmore Tempe Lake Pedestrian Bridge, 2011.

Images Courtesy of Author

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ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

Images Courtesy of Author

ASU ISTB7 Pedestrian Bridge, 2021.

include boating, fishing, and about 40 annual special events, attracting about 2.4 million visitors annually. The shore provides lighted and landscaped bike and pedestrian paths.

The pedestrian suspension bridge connects the residential, office, and commercial development on the north bank with the south bank, which has the Tempe Center for the Arts and Downtown Tempe. The design is a series of sections with arched steel pipe frames, a horizontal pedestrian bridge elevated over the lake, and diagonal cabling to tie the entire structure together. It provides a soaring, sophisticated character and appears inspired by sailboat masts and nautical engineering.

The bridge was later named after James Elmore, FAIA, the founding Dean at the Arizona State University College of Architecture, when the Rio Salado design studio project was undertaken. He relentlessly advocated for its creation for over 40 years, so on the 50th Anniversary of the original Rio Salado Project, it was deservedly named in his honor.

The Arizona State University ISTB7 Bridge on University Drive, just west of Rural Road in Tempe, was completed in 2021.

This pedestrian bridge connects the new ASU Walton Center for Planetary Health on the south side with the new City-sponsored Novus mixed-use development on the north. The bridge is also the eastern gateway to the ASU Tempe campus, specifically the Campus Research Corridor.

The bridge was designed to be an integral amenity to the ISTB7 facility, a EIGHTY SIX

significant public outreach investment for the entire research community at ASU. It showcases that their vision and research are trying to improve the world. The project site has unique, challenging geometries, including the Valley Metro light rail and station stop, railroad tracks, and a canal.

The primary structure is cast-in-place concrete sculptural columns, a raised walking deck, the north end cascading stairs, and terraced planters down to the street level. Given the complex geometries, side guardrails are GFRC panels over steel stud framing. At the central section is a warped wrap-around shading device, which suggests, with its stretched form, the dynamic movement of people across the bridge.

The device shifts in plan from one side to another and comprises a curving steel armature and flat blades that suggest moving through a whale’s rib cage. The details effectively provide some shade and mitigate the intense sunlight for people moving through this connection. The team includes Architekton + Grimshaw as the architects, McCarthy Construction as the contractor, and Buro Happold as the structural engineers. The total project budget was $192 million.

Douglas B. Sydnor, FAIA, is Principal at Douglas Sydnor Architect + Associates, Inc. and author of four architecture books.

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Above: An EKS concrete bucket during a bridge construction project, early 1990s.

Left: AGC Consolidated Joint Co-op Committee with Ted Jones, Pulice Construction; Bob Johnson, Wheeler Construction; Tom Royden, Royden Construction; John Kraemer, EKS; and Howard Varner, Klondyke Inc. (l-r), 1994.

Below: Washed out Salt River crossing near Tempe, 1993.

Image Courtesy of AGC

DIGGING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: JOHN KRAEMER AND EKS BILLY HORNER

E

dward Kraemer & Sons, Inc. (EKS) has a rich history that began with John Kraemer’s grandfather, Edward, in 1911.

The company’s humble beginnings saw it constructing barns in Wisconsin, a legacy that evolved into building houses, schools, and churches. Over time, EKS transitioned into aggregate production/crushing and road and bridge building, a significant milestone that saw all three of Edward’s sons joining the firm by the 1930s.

In 1956, under the new nationwide interstate highway program, EKS began focusing on heavy-highway construction.

Its commercial building was spun off into another company called Kraemer Brothers.

EKS was owned (50/50) by Victor Kraemer, John’s father, and Rudy Kraemer, John’s uncle, until 1986, when Victor sold his half to his brother, Rudy. Today, the company is known as Kraemer North America, with Obayashi owning a controlling interest.

John Kraemer played a pivotal role in EKS’s expansion into Arizona in the late 1980s. He served as project manager for the Roosevelt Lake Bridge, the company’s first in Arizona. However, J.A. Jones Construction’s associated expansion of the Roosevelt Dam, increasing its height, caused some excitement downstream on another EKS project.

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Tempe needed a new bridge crossing the Salt River to address increasing traffic congestion. EKS started construction on the Mill Avenue bridge in the early 1990s.

The project was still underway in 1993 when Roosevelt Dam was being expanded upstream.

EKS’s contract with the City of Tempe that required their bridge falsework, the temporary fixtures placed during construction, be designed to withstand a flow of

33,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). “A warm January rain on the snowpack above Roosevelt caused large flows into Roosevelt Lake and concerns that cofferdams built by J.A. Jones Construction could be over-topped with disastrous consequences,” John recalls.

John explains that the SRP Water Master called him, saying they had to release water from Roosevelt. “I got subsequent calls saying they were releasing 50,000 cfs, then 70,000 cfs, and then over 100,000 cfs,” John says. “I knew it was only a matter of time, and our falsework on the Mill Avenue bridge would scour out. I went to the job Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

site and watched from the old Tempe bridge as a portion of one span under construction scoured and failed.”

Fortunately, EKS had purchased Builders Risk insurance for the project, so the insurance company had to pay for the repair work. The destruction postponed the bridge’s opening until 1994.

John opened an EKS office in Phoenix and assumed the roles of area manager and regional manager within the firm. EKS joined the Arizona chapter of the Associated General Contractors (AGC), with John serving on the ADOT-AGC Joint Co-op Committee and

AGC Safety Committee. He joined the AGC Board in 1993 and served as its chairman in 2005.

John’s other significant projects with EKS were the new Navajo Bridge on U.S. Highway 89A near Lee’s Ferry, the CIP Post-tensioned balanced cantilevered segmental bridge on State Route 87 near Sunflower, and the Shea Blvd to Princess Drive section of the Loop 101 Freeway in Scottsdale.

In 2004, John left EKS to take a position with Pulice Construction, and about two years later, EKS left the Arizona market.

John took on the role of area manager for structures with Sundt in 2016. “The vast majority of Sundt’s highway structure work occurred in Texas,” John says. The most significant project he oversaw was the U.S. Highway 54/I-10 Interchange Reconstruction in El Paso near the Juarez port of entry.

“This challenging retrofit of a spaghetti interchange involved 16 bridges,” he says.

The job’s successful completion was a testament to John’s technical expertise and project management skills.

Image Courtesy of AGC

Above: Washed out falseworks on the Mill Avenue bridge over the Salt River in Tempe, 1993.

Right: EKS crew holding an AGC award: John Newsom, Richard Sena, Andy Smaltz, Steve Adams, Jay Ochs, and Project Manager Joe Stevens (l-r), early 1990s.

Below: John Kraemer and Jim Combs at an open house for Valley Rentals, 1996.

ARIZCC.COM

ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

BID RESULTS NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2024

BID AWARDS JANUARY FEBRUARY 1990

Northern Pkwy SR101 Reinforced Concrete Sunland Asphalt 10/31/24 $1,597,640

ASR Well 161 Equipping MGC 11/8/24 $9,733,848

Happy Valley Rd 67th Ave 35th Ave Roadway Haydon Companies 11/19/24 $37,475,767

AKR, Phoenix $992,462 Indian School Rd. to 6th Ave and Brown Road Work, Utilities, Misc.

Parking Lot Maintenance Districtwide Merrill Contracting 11/1/24 $1,044,344

Town Park Improvements Standard Construction Co. Inc. 11/13/24 $1,186,500

FY 2024 25 Crack Mastic Seal Program Holbrook Asphalt Co. 11/20/24 $562,860

Nueva Const., Tucson $151,426 Tanque Verde Loop Rd. Improvements

Flagstaff Fourth Cedar Ave Fann Contracting 11/1/24 $4,179,600

Local Drainage Mitigation Package 3 TF Contracting Services 11/13/24 $4,628,173

Avenue 9E Sewer Line Casing Extension Gutierrez Canales Engineering GCE 11/21/24 $190,735

REM, Tucson $259,275 Sahuarita Rd. Repairs

Ash Fork Flagstaff Transwestern William Charles Construction 11/1/24 $4,675,137

Pioneer Parkway Trailhead FY 24 25 Asphalt Paving & Supply 11/14/24 $740,542

Gatlin Site Cultural Natural Resource Park NEVE 11/21/24 $318,705

Fann Const., Prescott $1.16 Mil South Grand Canyon Sanitary District Tusayan Waste Treatment Plant Expansion

Mohave County Northern Ave Technology Construction 11/1/24 $5,848,154

Cushing Street Skate Park ALCC Corp 11/14/24 $1,749,674

Wastewater Collection System Rehabilitation B&F Contracting 11/21/24 $3,376,560

Tanner Const., Phoenix $7.29 Mil Sky Harbor Blvd. East Taxiway Excavation, Roadways, Improvements

CMAR Granite Reef Wash Pima Park Hunter Contracting Co. 11/4/24 $34,069,000

Sidney P Osborn Phase 2 Gorman & Company Inc 11/14/24 $21,000,000

North Valley Parkway Storage Phoenix Campbell Development 11/21/24 $9,000,000

R.G. Johnson, Tempe $167,936 Pedestrian Bridge Phoenix Country Day School

Sunken Manhole Repair 2024 Apache Underground and Excavating 11/6/24 $108,300

Picacho Coolidge Kleck Rd Paveco Inc 11/15/24 $1,024,827

Hayden Estates 18 inch Rooks Road Sewer Arrowmark 11/22/24 $1,996,690

JWJ Contracting, Phoenix $242,181 Palo Verde Rd. Bridge M.C. HWY Department

Legal Defender Parking Lot Construction Merrill Contracting 11/7/24 $157,504

Keystone Stairs Rehab Accelerated Construction Excavating 11/18/24 $239,194

Delaware Dr 16th Ave Blucor 11/22/24 $4,260,000

The Ashton Co., Tucson $8.07 Mil Wastewater Improvements Roger Rd., Santa Cruz River

Frye Road Bike Lanes Granite Construction 11/7/24 $11,099,566

Sewer Main Replacement Phase II Perco Rock Co. 11/19/24 $333,560

Alley Stabilization Clark Park Mitchell Park Redpoint Contracting Action Direct 12/3/24 $1,080,343

Borderland Const., Tucson $74,911 Allen & River Rds., Shama Wing at Ina Rds. Improvements

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ARIZONA CONTRACTOR & COMMUNITY

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

PLEASE PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS, THEY MAKE THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE! Aggregate Machinery 480-730-1212 aggregatemachinery.net

P. 16

Earnhardt 480-926-4000 nobullfleet.com

P. 26

Metro Engineering & Survey P. 32 623-466-6640 metroaz.net

Southwest Asphalt 480-730-1033 fisherind.com

Arizona Materials 602-278-4444 arizonamaterials.com

P. 38

ECCO Equipment 602-276-2040 eccoequipment.com

P. 24

Metro Traffic Control 623-879-0610 metrotrafficcontrol.net

P. 12

Southwest Industrial Rigging P. 24 602-278-6281 swirusa.com

Asphalt Busters 623-936-8800 asphaltbusters.com

P. 63

EES 480-809-4687 emergencyenv.com

P. 13

NCS 928-567-6585 networxcs.com

P. 53

Southwest JCB 602-454-9808 SWJCB.com

Baja Ready Mix 602-503-9391 readymixconcreteaz.com

P. 20

Elite Sports 602-899-9200 elitesportsbuilders.com

P. 20

NECA 602-263-0111 azneca.org

P. 28

Specialty Companies Group P. 7 623-582-2385 specialtycompaniesgroup.com

BidJudge 602-456-BIDZ bidjudge.com

P. 40

Empire Sales Center 520-582-2050 empirecat.com/eloy

P. 32

New West Oil 602-759-5559 newwestoil.com

P. 67

Statewide T&T 602-368-8797

P. 87

Blueline Grizzly 928-308-1901 bluelinerockgrizzly.com

P. 83

Fisher’s Tools 800-390-4063 fishertools.com

P. 40

New Western Rentals 623-847-3594 newwesternrentals.comw

P. 90

Sunland Asphalt 602-323-2800 sunlandasphalt.com

P. 32

Borderland 520-623-0900 borderland-inc.com

P. 11

Forrest Rents P. 87 602-620-2383 forrestequipmentrentals.com

Pacwest Rentals 480-832-0855 pacwestrentals.com

P. BC

Sunstate Equipment 888-456-4560 sunstateequip.com

P. 36

Branco Machinery 480-892-5657 brancomachinery.com

P. IFC

GenTech 800-625-8324 gentechusa.com

P. 38

Powerscreen 602-772-1419 powerscreenwestern.com

P. 22

Trench-Ade 833-384-1176 trench-ade.com

P. IBC

Buesing Corp 602-233-3339 buesingcorp.com

P. 4

GFT Ready Mix 602-269-9206 gftmix.com

P. 73

Preach Building Supply 602-944-4594 preachbuildingsupply.com

P. 59

TSR 602-253-3311 tsraz.com

P. 30

CalPortland 602-817-6929 calportland.com

P. 42

GoodFellow 623-594-5401 goodfellowcorp.com

P. 53

Purple Wave Auction 866-608-9283 purplewave.com

P. 3

Vermeer Mountain West P. 40 480-785-4800 vermeermountainwest.com

CAMS 602-331-5455 cams-az.com

P. 79

Greer Aftermarket Parts 602-541-0554 602-541-5971

P. 6

Reliable Portable Bathrooms P. 5 602-601-2222 reliableportablebathrooms.com

Westroc 480-550-1815

P. 42

Castle Hot Springs 844-276-8052 castlehotsprings.com

P. 42

Herc Rentals 602-269-5931 hercrentals.com

P. 10

Reuter Fabrication 602-415-0449 reuterequipment.com

P. 8

WillScot 800-782-1500 willscot.com

P. 59

CED 602-437-4200 cedphx.com

P. 9

Insearch Corp 480-940-0100 insearchcorp.com

P. 46

RT Underground 602-622-6789

P. 12

WSM 623-936-3300 wsmauctioneers.com

P. 18

Cemex 602-416-2652 cemexusa.com

P. 46

Insurica 602-273-1625 insurica.com

P. 11

S&S Paving 602-437-0818 sspaving.com

P. 83

Curry Fluid Power 602-661-6596 curryfluidpower.com

P. 34

JS Cole 602-633-0990 jscole.com

P. 92-93

Salt River Materials 480-850-5757 srmaterials.com

P. 78

Curry Supply 800-345-2829 currysupply.com

P. 34

KE&G 520-748-0188 kegtus.com

P. 7

Shanes Grading & Paving 602-992-2201 shanespaving.com

P. 28

Custom Truck 602-527-4088 customtruck.com

P. 17

Keystone Concrete 480-835-1579 keystoneconcretellc.com

P. 6

Shanes Hauling 602-992-2201 shanespaving.com

P. 30

DCS Contracting 480-732-9238 dcscontracting.com

P. 9

Landco Power 480-788-1333 landcorental.com

P. 12

Sharp Creek Contracting 602-437-3040 sharpcreek.com

P. 20

DitchWitch 602-437-0351 ditchwitchwest.com

P. 91

Lang, Thal, King & Hanson 480-534-4900 lang.law

P. 16

Sitech Southwest 602-691-7501 sitechsw.com

P. 63

Dynamic Diesel 602-376-1448 dynamicdieselrepair.com

P. 9

Madco Rentals 480-280-0364 madcorentals.com

P. 83

Solterra Materials 602-531-0454 solterramaterials.com

P. 82

E&E Companies 480-251-8929

P. 22

MDI Rock 602-569-8722 mdirock.com

P.22

Sonsray Machinery 844-sonsray sonsraymachinery.com

P. 44

NINETY FOUR

P. 8

P. 9

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES CONTACT BILLY HORNER 602-931-0069 BILLY@ARIZCC.COM

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602-723-6838

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480-710-9358

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480-737-4885

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480-684-4470

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