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(Will Mesbergen/JESCO photo)
In total, roughly 300,000 cu. yds. of dirt will be moved on the project.
As only the third of its kind in the nation, Montgomery’s $50-million whitewater and outdoor activities center is expected to enhance tourism and boost economic development when it opens in 2023. Construction crews are currently preparing the site for the 120-acre recreation and entertainment complex. “After almost seven years of hard work, seeing the equipment on site is best described as surreal,” said Megan McKenzie, Southern Whitewater Development Group (SWDG) assistant project manager. “This project is a unique catalyst project that will not only provide an exciting new venue, but also help transform the Maxwell Blvd/I-65 corridor and greatly enhance the quality of life for Montgomery residents.” McKenzie was quick to point out that the new venture is
By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT
not a waterpark. “Montgomery Whitewater won’t consist of water slides and lazy rivers,” she said. “This is a world-class Olympic standard whitewater, recreation and entertainment venue. At the heart of it is a man-made rafting and recreational complex that will provide an Appalachian river experience within walking distance of downtown Montgomery and will cater to beginners and experts alike. “Patrons will be able to raft, kayak, stand up paddle and enjoy other river boat activities in our channels. On the dry side, we will offer trails for hiking and biking, ziplines, a venue for live music and plenty of space to watch and relax.” The initial phase of construction is limited to the whitewater park, its sitework and associated buildings and operations. Future onsite phases are likely to include the addition of a limited services hotel, conference facility, mixed-use, retail,
restaurant and multifamily developments. McKenzie described the undertaking as a transformational project. “It will spur development, dramatically add to the lifestyle of residents, fuel tourism growth, help to enhance military missions and make Montgomery a more attractive destination for a talented workforce that prioritizes quality of life when selecting a place to live and work. “Similar to what Riverwalk Stadium did for the downtown area 20 years ago, the Montgomery Whitewater project will do for the very important Maxwell Blvd and I-65 corridors. The city of Montgomery invested the money into the stadium project, and that project generated hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment. In this case, Montgomery County has led the way with many other partners.” see WHITEWATER page 2
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Montgomery Whitewater to Be Transformational Project
Liquid Design rendering
Montgomery’s $50-million whitewater and outdoor activities center is expected to enhance tourism and boost economic development when it opens in 2023. WHITEWATER from page 1
As for standout features, said McKenzie, “The artificial river is pretty exciting. It’s the heart and soul of the project, and provides an indescribable energy to the venue. I can’t wait for people to walk in and experience the river for the first time, whether they get in the water, or just watch and enjoy.” Scott Shipley, one of the best-known American kayakers in the world and a veteran of three Olympic games, is the lead whitewater designer on the project with his company, S2O Design and Engineering, as well as a partner with SWDG. SWDG is contracted by the Montgomery County Community Cooperative District to develop and operate the complex. The whitewater course will include more than 310,000 sq. ft. of channel, with a 1,600 linear-ft. competition channel and a 2,200 linear-ft. family recreation channel. There will be a total of six pumps at over 12,000 lbs. each, an approximately 170-ft. conveyor with a 22-ft. elevation change and the capa-
bility of moving nine fully loaded rafts. JESCO Construction Inc. serves as the construction manager at risk. According to Brian Slaughter, JESCO project executive, weather will be the biggest challenge for crews. “Since the majority of the critical work is exterior, weather can have an impact on progress. We are installing some stormwater measures to help eliminate possible delays. Additionally, there are some challenges to material procurement due to COVID and other issues of supply in the construction industry.” Workers began demolition in early June to prepare for the site/civil and utility phase. Site demolition includes removal of streets and concrete pavements. Power and gas also must be addressed. “The entire site work, which is mostly level, will have to be changed to create the elevations for the channels and pool area,” Slaughter said. “Also included is storm, water and sanitary piping. The site work/civil package is vital to starting
concrete in the channels, pools and pump house.” In total, roughly 300,000 cu. yds. of dirt will be moved on the project. Nearly 1,400 truckloads of concrete will be required. Main materials include 825 base, asphalt paving, concrete and epoxy reinforcing. Heavy machinery on the project will include a Komatsu 220 excavator, a Komatsu 750 excavator, a Cat 330 excavator, a John Deere 350 excavator, two Cat D6 dozers, a Cat D8 dozer, a 45-ton Komatsu mud truck, a fuel truck, a Cat smooth drum roller, an Cat 815 sheep foot roller, a Cat 140 motorgrader, two Cat 627 scapers, a Mack water truck, a Cat 980 front-end loader, a Volvo front-end loader, six Mack triaxle dump trucks, an International service truck, an International grease truck, a concrete crusher and a milling machine. The most time-consuming part of the work involves the placing of concrete in the channels and pools. see WHITEWATER page 6
Will Mesbergen/JESCO photo
Will Mesbergen/JESCO photo
The initial phase of construction is limited to the whitewater park, its sitework and associated buildings and operations.
Future onsite phases are likely to include the addition of a limited services hotel, conference facility, mixed-use, retail, restaurant and multifamily developments.
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 30, 2021 • Page 3
Atlanta, GA 404.696.7210 Birmingham, AL 205.841.6666 Madison, AL 256.350.0006 Mobile, AL 251.633.4020 Montgomery, AL 334.262.6642 Oxford, AL 256.832.5053 Tuscaloosa, AL 205.848.4147 Pensacola, FL 850.479.3004
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Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 30, 2021 • Page 5
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Mobile Bay Bridge Back On Track, But Funding Issues Loom The Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project is one of those good news/bad news situations. The good news to report is that the longdiscussed project is now back on track to be built, after local officials balked at putting tolls on its usage in 2019. The bad news, which may not come as too much of a surprise, is that folks should not expect its construction to start right away. The long-desired span to alleviate traffic on the congested Interstate 10 Bayway got new life earlier in June when both the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Eastern Shore MPO voted to put the project back in their Transportation Improvement Plans. The Eastern Shore MPO had been the one to pull the project in 2019 over objections to proposed tolls. Now that the project is part of their plans, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) can complete the necessary studies to have the project approved. ALDOT has said construction on the bridge could start in 2022 or 2023 and it would take about four years to complete. The new $725 million bridge project will include a “truck-only” bridge to be built over or around the Wallace Tunnel to ease congestion and reroute hazardous cargo. Secondly, the I-10 Bayway will be restriped to add a third lane in both directions, one of them for truck use only. State and local leaders are under the gun to nail down details by September 2022, the deadline to use or lose a $125 million federal grant, Mobile’s FOX10 News reported. According to the TV station, Kevin Harrison, director of transportation of the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission said that he and other local officials now have a path forward to get the ini-
The new $725 million bridge project will include a “truck-only” bridge to be built over or around the Wallace Tunnel to ease congestion and reroute hazardous cargo.
tial phase of the project constructed. He added that the next step — the big obstacle that has confounded public officials for 25 years — is figuring out how to pay for it. He noted the possibility of getting more federal money from President Joe Biden’s massive infrastructure spending proposal. Currently, the House and Senate are working on different versions of a long-term transportation funding plan. “The time is right to go after some of these federal funds,” Harrison said. The original plan for a new, $2.1 billion Mobile Bay Bridge project was designed as a twin-span bridge and a new, wider and higher Bayway. But local leaders nixed that idea after residents complained about a proposed toll on both the new crossing and the existing Wallace Tunnel.
The latest iteration of the bridge project involves breaking its plan into three phases. Local leaders must also find a way to secure enough federal funds to do it all at one time. Regardless of when that happens, the plan calls for starting the project with a single span of two lanes in each direction, starting at Virginia Street and connecting to the Bayway. Restriping on the Bayway would mean a reduced speed limit as well. The second and third phases of the Mobile River Bridge project would add a second bridge span to allow for four lanes in each direction and a new, elevated Bayway with an equal number of lanes. Harrison told FOX10 News that the project could be in line for additional funding if it makes a list of the nation’s top 10 highway choke points, due to its daily traffic conges-
tion. A study in 2017, though, indicated that the I-10 bridge barely ranked in the top 200, but Harrison said that that examination relied on GPS data collected from trucks. FOX10 News reported that he questioned the veracity of the statistics collection by pointing out that when trucks go through the Wallace Tunnel, their GPS signal is lost, resulting in “bad data.” Without additional money from Washington, the funding sources are $125 million from the existing federal grant, $250 million from Alabama state funds, and $300 million to be financed through a toll of $10 to $15 on commercial vehicles using the new bridge. The current idea is that residents would be able to continue using the Wallace Tunnel for free, while large commercial trucks would be barred from accessing the tunnel. The trucking industry has objected, arguing that it would be unconstitutional. Alabama Trucking Association President Mark Colson told the Mobile news outlet that the bridge is needed but that it must be financed another way. “The trucking industry under the truckonly toll is being asked to put up, basically, the same amount of money as the state and federal governments combined,” Colson said. “I don’t think anyone would think that makes sense.” Colson acknowledged, though, that there are no easy solutions to the project’s funding issues. “Here’s the reality: Things cost money,” he told FOX10 News. “Money doesn’t grow on trees. We all know that. But the federal government, the state government and stakeholders have a responsibility to find a solution that will bring the project to fruition.”
Project Could Spur Future Development in West Montgomery WHITEWATER from page 2
Will Mesbergen/JESCO photo
Construction crews are currently preparing the site for the 120-acre recreation and entertainment complex.
“Because the channels are so long and pools large, we can’t pour all at one time, so we will have to develop a good pour sequence and plan to make sure we hit our target dates,” said Slaughter. Jeffrey Gustin, SWDG project manager, said the significance of a pump-powered channel can’t be overstated. “Atypical to a natural river, a pumped whitewater course provides a scalable and predictable paddling experience that can be configured to its intended audience, while mitigating many risks present in natural rivers like footholds or underwater debris. The pumped course can be used for most any level of patron, from beginner to enthusiast to Olympian and further, to other uses such as swift water training and youth instruction programs. “The extent of site work and the entire whitewater course and its systems are all a unique application of civil, mechanical, electrical and hydraulic engineering. Many of the systems are
on the scale of large water processing facilities. Similar pumps are used in large-scale stormwater plants and conveyors similar in scale to many processing plants, but with rafts fully loaded with people, not packages.” Gustin said now is an ideal time to carry out construction. “In a time where kids and adults alike are spending more and more time in front of technology, a family-oriented outdoor recreation experience is just what is needed to provide a muchneeded break from our ever-growing fast-paced lifestyles. In addition, in light of COVID, more and more people are seeking out these types of venues that engage the outdoors.” Gustin added, “The most impactful part of this project is not just providing an outdoor whitewater park. It’s in providing a hub of activity and community participation that will ultimately spur further development in west Montgomery and neighboring communities. This project will provide continued opportunities for local citizens and become a reflection of Montgomery today, not just its past.” CEG
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 30, 2021 • Page 7
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