Portland Connector Project Update
Kudos to Team Leaders and the Crews Who Make it Happen!
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By Parker Hadlock and Dottie Hutchins
ORTLAND, Maine — Celebrating ZERO incident reports, Maine’s first highway design-build project is on schedule with the completion of Bridge 3 and the Veteran’s Intersection utility and roadway work in November 2004. After the earthen preloads placed last year have caused the desired settlement, next construction season will bring the completion of the new Connector roadway, along with Bridges 1 and 2, under the able management of Lou Campbell. Our team’s focus on safety, innovation, and responsiveness to the project stakeholders is responsible for the success of this project. Together, we thank our team leaders, their crews, and others for a job well done:
n Elwin “Jonesy” Jones for setting up the crane for pile driving and steel erection; and, setting up the bidwell for a complicated deck placement, which accommodated a bridge curve, variable cross slope, and flare. (There are no words to describe how much we miss Jonesy. He was a pillar. Jonesy died in an auto accident October 10, 2004.) n Hank Cook and Scott Remillard whose excellent planning ensured the pile driving and erection of the four spans and precast deck came in below budget. n Doug Ranks for leading the substructure and deck concrete effort through 25,000 work hours without a single safety incident. n Tom Belanger for leading the rebar installation, most recently completing the deck rebar below budget. n Wayne Cray whose concrete placement experience is always valuable. n Paul Belanger whose excellent planning skills and attention to detail earned the respect of our client. Paul was also charged with the tricky work of completing the mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall cap and barrier. n Tom Gallagher for stepping aboard and giving the barrier light posts a boost before winter weather. n Rod MacKay and Gary Mason for completely handling the rigid frame bridge rebuild of a 1920s era concrete railroad bridge. n Gary Guindon, who we discovered ties rebar as well as he runs a crane. It’s flexibility like this that makes our company efficient! n Bob McCubrey for outstanding operating around the confines of three rail lines. n Robert “Bobo” Hall, Brad Marquis, Cherylee Williams and Walt Beleckis for standout contributions, along with Ryan Marcotte, who most recently was asked to step into a foreman role at the PPLC project. n Our equipment group’s Tom Ruksznis and Terry Gallant for helping us prepare the bidwell for the deck placement and convincing me (Parker) it could be done. n Shaw Brothers’ Steve Walton, Jeff Faye, and Dave Doucette for completing the utility and roadwork safely and on schedule with minimal traffic impact. n Louis Berger’s Joe Lowry whose traffic plan was the foundation of a very successful traffic management effort to keep 30,000 vehicles
CIANBRO CHATTER
Team members erect first piece of steel for bridge 3
per day moving through our project safely! Finally, we welcome Darren Shoff from our Mid-Atlantic team. And, welcome to Barry Anderson, new to our company as a carpenter helper and already a contributor to our success. n
Together, with our design-build partners—Shaw Brothers, Louis Berger Group, and S.W. Cole—along with our client, MaineDOT, we thank the City of Portland and our neighbors for helping out with problem solving and moving us toward the finish line. This project impacted local businesses, adjoining neighborhoods, and the traveling public on a daily basis. We reached out for their help and we delighted in many responses that came in through our project web site, www.portlandconnector.com:
“I work at the Metro at 114 Valley Street and I live in South Portland on Westbrook Street. Therefore, I use the Veterans Bridge every day to get to work. I must say, that I have been very impressed with how well the construction workers have kept the traffic moving...from day one. I have never sat in a traffic jam hoping the project will be over soon. They have done their utmost working around commuters and it has been greatly appreciated. I am way impressed.” – JM, South Portland “I am continuously amazed how organized the worksite is left when they are done for the day. It always looks so ‘neat’ for a construction project! The flaggers are always pleasant and patient. I am so impressed with the work they are doing I don’t even mind waiting when I experience delays. Well done. Keep up the great work! Thanks!”
– PD, Cape Elizabeth
Work and planning will continue this winter for the new Connector road. Cianbro is also constructing CMP’s Fore River Substation across the street from our new Ricker’s Wharf facility. When complete, the Connector and Substation will both contribute to economic development in the area.
4 35,893 Project Safe Hours 18
WINTER 2005