FOUR CORNERS STATES EDITION
®
October 22 2023 Vol. I • No. 22
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Four Corners Connection • Dennis Hogeboom • 1-877-877-4997 • dennishogeboom@cegltd.com
Construction crews are in the process of excavating and putting in base aggregate at the South Rim Water Treatment Plant construction site — part of the $200 million Transcanyon Waterline project — at Grand Canyon National Park.
By Joe Jancsurak CEG CORRESPONDENT
Talk about your humungous projects. Work is now under way to replace the Transcanyon Waterline (TCWL), a 53-year-old, 12.5-mi. long, 6-to-8 in. diameter aluminum pipe buried below a hiking trail in the Grand Canyon National Park that is considered the mighty mainstay of the park’s water system. The water originates from the Roaring Springs source below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. From there, the water moves via the TCWL to Phantom Ranch, across the
Colorado River and up to the Havasupai Gardens pump station and, ultimately, to the South Rim. The waterline provides 190 million gal. of water to as many as 5 million visitors annually and 2,500 residents in the Cross Canyon Corridor and South Rim area. It also provides water to facilities and more than 800 historic buildings, including administrative and operations buildings, residential housing for staff, the Grand Canyon school, hotels/lodges, campgrounds and water-filling stations. That’s a lot of heavy lifting for a structure that was completed sometime around the first Earth Day in 1970. In fact, since 2010, there have been more than 85 major breaks in the
line, with each resulting in water-delivery disruptions. “The TCWL is beyond its expected useful life and requires expensive and continuous inner canyon maintenance work to repair leaks,” said Rob Parrish, division chief of the Division of Planning, Environment and Projects at Grand Canyon National Park So, instead of paying for unbudgeted repairs ranging from thousands up to hundreds of thousands of dollars and having staff work in hazardous situations, the National Park Service awarded a $208 million construction contract in March to Stronghold Engineering Inc. of Perris, Calif. see GRAND page 8
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Page 2 • October 22, 2023 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Four Corners States Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
LOGAN, UT
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
CLIFTON, CO
CEDAR CITY, UT
SPRINGVILLE, UT
DURANGO, CO
453 North 1000 West Logan, UT 84321 435-752-1533
4343 Century Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84123 801-262-5761
482 North Main Street 1350 South 2000 West Cedar City, UT 84720 Springville, UT 84663 435-586-4406 801-794-1463 Email: del.maxedon@centuryeq.com
549 32nd Rd. Clifton, CO 81520 970-434-7363 1097 Hwy 3 Durango, CO 81301 970-247-0522
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 6301 Edith Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87107 505-433-2246
Construction Equipment Guide • Four Corners States Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 22, 2023 • Page 3
COLORADO
Corporate Office 5000 Vasquez Blvd. Denver, CO 80216 303.355.5900 Grand Junction 970-241-1550 Colorado Springs 719.576.5541 Milliken 970.587.1188 Durango 970.259.0455
WYOMING
TEXAS
Cheyenne 307.634.5149
El Paso 915.872.1001
NEW MEXICO
ARIZONA
Albuquerque 505.345.8383 Bloomfield 505.324.8601 Carlsbad 505.485.1700
Chandler 602.463.3772 Phoenix 602.986.3003 Tucson 520.649.2858
Watch for New Branches Opening Soon! *some representation varies by state
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Origis Commences Construction On New Mexico Solar Farm Origis Energy recently announced construction has begun on the Escalante Solar Project near Grants, N.M. The 200-megawatt solar project is at the site of the decommissioned Escalante Station, a 253-megawatt coal-powered plant that Tri-State closed in 2020. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association has entered into a power purchase agreement for the output of generation from the Escalante Solar Project. “We are excited to help create a milestone for Tri-State in their renewable energy goals,” said Tanya Sessions, vice president, business development, of Origis Energy. “It’s always a celebration when clean, reliable energy is meeting the needs of homes and businesses in a community.” “It’s meaningful that the first solar project to start construction as part of the Responsible Energy Plan we announced in 2020 will be built alongside our retired coal plant,” said Duane Highley, Tri-State’s chief executive officer. “We continue to reinvest in the local community and advance our goal of having 50 percent of the energy used by our members coming from renewable resources in 2025 and meeting the 2030 renewable energy requirements of the Energy Transition Act five years early.” Origis Energy, one of America’s renewable energy platforms, acquired the development rights for the Escalante Solar Project from TurningPoint Energy, which originally developed the project. The project, located in Continental Divide Electric Cooperative’s (CDEC’s) service territory, will serve all of Tri-State’s members, including CDEC and its other 10 members in New Mexico. “It is gratifying to finally deliver on the commitment of this project we made to Tri-State and its members back in 2020,” said Jared Schoch, president of TurningPoint Energy. “CohnReznick Capital helped engage us with Origis and we ultimately partnered with Origis on this project because they
former coal plant, a new tax base is being created for the area from power generation, while providing a stable cost of power for Tri-State’s members. Additionally, the project negotiated an Industrial Revenue Bond with McKinley County, N.M., which documents the project will pay approximately $7,100,000 in taxes to the County and $2,400,000 in taxes to the School District over the life of the project. For more information about the project, visit: https://origisenergy.com/projects/escalante-solar Origis photo
Gridworks, headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., is providing construction services for the project, employing an estimated 400 people during that time.
are uniquely qualified to deliver on utility-scale solar projects in today's business environment.” Gridworks, headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., is providing construction services for the project, employing an estimated 400 people during that time. Upon completion in 2024, Origis Energy Services will provide operation and maintenance services for the project, employing approximately 4-6 on site jobs once the project is completed. Roughly 500,000 solar panel modules will be installed at Escalante Solar, powering an estimated 40,000 homes. “Tri-State’s investment in Escalante Solar is vital for the community,” said Robert E. Castillo, CDEC chief executive officer, general manager. “While the solar project cannot replace jobs at the retired coal plant, the addition of new tax base for McKinley County and our local school district is impactful, and we appreciate Tri-State and the project partners for bringing Escalante Solar to our region.” By adding such a significant solar plant at the site of the
About Tri-State Tri-State is a wholesale power supply cooperative, operating on a not-for-profit basis, with 45 members, including 42 utility electric distribution cooperative and public power district members in four states that together deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to more than a million electricity consumers across nearly 200,000 sq. mi. of the West. For more information about Tri-State, visit www.tristate.coop. About Origis Energy Origis Energy is bringing clean and cost effective solar, energy storage and clean hydrogen solutions within reach for utility, commercial and industrial as well as public sector clients. The Origis team has worked to ensure the interests of all stakeholders are upheld in 170 projects worldwide totaling more than 5 GW to date of developed solar, energy storage and clean hydrogen capacity. Headquartered in Miami, FL, Origis Energy delivers excellence in solar, energy storage and clean hydrogen development, financing, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) and operations, maintenance and asset management for investors and clean energy consumers in the U.S. For more information visit: www.OrigisEnergy.com..
ADOT Recommends $34M in Improvements On SR 88 After extensive study and public input on the feasibility of reopening 5 mi. of State Route 88 (Apache Trail) severely damaged by flooding and erosion, the Arizona Department of Transportation is recommending improvements estimated to cost $33.7 million that would be needed to restore access safely and sustainably. There currently is no funding identified for a project on this unpaved stretch east of the Phoenix area, though ADOT is seeking federal funding. The recommendation contained in ADOT’s Final Design Concept Report would be the basis for design and construction when future funding is identified. “Subject to funds becoming available, we are proposing improvements that would reduce the chances of future damage from storms and enhance safety for motorists,” said Paul Patane, ADOT multimodal planning division director. “We understand State Route 88’s place in the hearts of many Arizonans and have a recommendation that prioritizes safety and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.” SR 88 closed in 2019 between Fish Creek
Hill Overlook and Apache Lake Marina Road (mileposts 222-229) when torrential rain onto the adjacent Woodbury Fire scar extensively damaged the gravel roadway and left a section blocked by boulders. The storm also damaged the drainage system, guardrail and bridge approaches and left unstable rock faces, creating safety issues and making the road vulnerable to additional damage and closures. Funded by a legislative appropriation, the State Route 88 (Apache Trail) Study received comments from nearly 1,700 Arizonans, the majority of whom supported ADOT’s preferred alternative for reopening the roadway. ADOT’s recommendation was based on public input, as well as evaluation criteria including resilience, cost, feasibility, safety and potential environmental impacts of the improvements that include: • Chip sealing the road surface throughout the 5 mi.; • Widening the roadway to 15 ft. in steeper areas; • Adding rock bolts to potentially unstable rock faces and scaling to remove loose and
overhanging rock; • Increasing drainage capacity to accommodate accommodate 2.25 in. of rain in an hour; • Rehabilitating or repairing existing bridges; • Placing new concrete barrier for safety on steep sections; and • Adding pullouts, signs and other safety enhancements. Traveling between the East Valley and Roosevelt Lake, Apache Trail was built for construction of Theodore Roosevelt Dam, which was completed in 1911. Prior to closing in 2019, the stretch between Tortilla Flat and Apache Lake was used by an average of 232 vehicles daily. ADOT has performed extensive work to restore access to and improve other damaged sections of SR 88 and made regular repairs when flooding has damaged areas that are open to traffic. Last year, ADOT reopened 1.7 miles west from Apache Lake to restore access to the Reavis Trailhead at milepost 227. An $18 million project is chip-sealing 11 miles between Apache Lake and SR 188
near Theodore Roosevelt Dam. Motorists can safely access Apache Lake and other points on the east side of the closure via SR 188. From the west, SR 88 is open to Fish Creek Vista facilities 9 mi. east of Tortilla Flat, which has been accessible throughout via Canyon Lake. The next step in advancing a project in the stretch that remains closed would include conducting final design and an extensive environmental study. This would be required because this stretch is on an easement through U.S. Forest Service land. That process can be expected to take up to two years. ADOT has begun seeking federal funding to advance a project. This includes a pending application through the Federal Highway Administration’s Promoting Reliant Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Discretionary Grant Program, seeking $3.6 million to be used for design and environmental study. For more information on the study and SR 88, visit azdot.gov/SR88Study.
Construction Equipment Guide • Four Corners States Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 22, 2023 • Page 5
FOUR CORNERS PUBLISHING 2023 Issue
Closing
Publishing
24
November 8
November 19
26
December 6
December 17
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Stronghold Engineering Building One Million-Gal. Tanks
Raw water tank footings in preparation for concrete pouring. Two new 1-million gal. raw water tanks are being constructed adjacent to existing water tanks. GRAND from page 1
Construction began shortly thereafter and is projected to wrap up in October 2026. Overall costs of the water-delivery system project, which took about 10 years to design, will be calculated after the project is completed. Project Challenges, New Construction The overall design and the materials used are the main differences between the existing and new TCWL.
Construction workers measure out sections of a raw water tank base before moving sections into place to install it.
“Since pipeline breaks are the main cause for water delivery failures within the park, selecting the right materials was a critical decision in the design process,” said Parrish. “The original pipe material is aluminum, which is easier to haul into the inner canyon due to its weight-to-size ratio. The material contributes to the degradation of the waterline and frequent structural breaks due to the extreme environmental conditions of the inner canyon.” Flexsteel pipe was selected to replace the aluminum pipe
Cranes hoist sections of the third ring layer of a raw water tank enabling it to be welded together.
because of the balanced tradeoff between weight, durability and the strength of the material. The pipe is being sliplined into the Bright Angel Trail section of the waterline from the South Rim to the Havasupai Garden Campground. The new design calls for the relocation of the water intake, moving from Roaring Springs to Bright Angel Creek. The relocation will eliminate nearly 7 mi. of the pipeline north of Phantom Ranch in an area known as “the box,” where most see GRAND page 10
Construction Equipment Guide • Four Corners States Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 22, 2023 • Page 9
Crews Correct Portion of I-6 Damage to Reopen Highway The Utah Department of Transportation has fixed and reopened a portion of I-6 between Helper and Solider Summit after flood damage caused the road to close. The highway was closed in both directions while crews built a temporary fix. “With the amount of water that came down and debris due to the burn scar from the Bear fire in 2021, we had excessive flows,” said UDOT District Engineer, Region 4, Dan Hinckley in a Fox 13 interview. “We needed to bring in about two feet of fill, so we mobilized trucks to start bringing that fill in and spreading the fill, compacting the fill so we will have a gravel surface that we can put cars on,” said Hinckley. (All photos courtesy of UDOT.)
The Utah Department of Transportation has fixed and reopened a portion of I-6 between Helper and Solider Summit after flood damage caused the road to close.
Crews built a gravel road as part of a temporary fix with approximately 2 ft. of fill. The road is now open to all travelers.
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Crews Replace Aluminum Pipe With More Durable Flexsteel
Rob Parrish, division chief of the Division of Planning, Environment, and Projects at Grand Canyon National Park. GRAND from page 8
NPS workers repairing the Transcanyon Waterline on the North Kaibab Trail.
breaks occur due to falling rocks and extreme temperatures that cause the aluminum to deteriorate. Then there are the logistical challenges stemming from work in the inner canyon. “All the equipment and materials for the waterline, distribution systems, Phantom Ranch water treatment plant and inner canyon support facilities need to be airlifted through controlled air space into the inner canyon,” Parrish explained. “Most of the materials for this work were ordered earlier this summer to account for long lead times, ensuring that the contractor can transfer them during set timeframes. Plans call for the transfer of multiple sling loads of equipment during the set timeframes to minimize use of the heavy-lift helicopters, since those are reserved during wildfire seasons for emergency operations.” The “sequenced construction timeline,” according to Parrish, includes the following: • Construction of an auxiliary hangar, helicopter landing pad and contractor support area at the park helicopter base; • Construction of a 1 million-gallon per day water treatment plant at the South Rim and a smaller water treatment plant at Phantom Ranch; • Replacement of the water distribution system at Havasupai Gardens; • Replacement of approximately 3 mi. of waterline and upgrading approximately 3 mi. of electrical supply line from Havasupai Gardens to Phantom Ranch; • Construction of a water intake system and pumping sta-
Crews recently poured exterior walls for the new South Rim Water Treatment Plant.
tion in the Phantom Ranch area; • Replacement of the water and electrical distribution systems at Phantom Ranch. Additional challenges also included: • Installation of the pipe from Plateau Point down the steep canyon walls to Phantom Ranch required teams to rappel down to install pipe anchors to secure the pipe to the canyon wall; • Need for water remains while work to replace the pipeline continues, resulting in a bypass to ensure water flow to the inner canyon and South Rim; • Communication between the contractor and NPS staff remains critical as workers complete sections, requiring certain trails to be temporarily closed. Planning, Preparation On average, there are approximately 100 construction personnel, including subcontractors, at various project construction sites in the park, helping to make upfront and ongoing logistical planning a key factor in remaining on schedule. “Some of the planning includes factoring in weather delays and no-fly days because the weather could shift,” said Parrish. “Part of that planning includes contingencies to shift workers to other project areas to keep work going and to complete tasks within the allotted timeframes. Moreover, ongoing coordination between the contractor and NPS staff enables construction progress and supports park operations while providing safe experiences for visitors.” CEG (All photos courtesy of National Park Service/L. Daniels photo.)
Construction Equipment Guide • Four Corners States Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • October 22, 2023 • Page 11
The Winner Is...
Ralph L. Wadsworth, Banicki Construction Win ARTBA Awards Transportation construction companies from three states were recognized for their outstanding employee safety programs during the American Road & Transportation Builders Association's (ARTBA) national convention in La Jolla, Calif. The annual ARTBA “Contractor Safety Awards” promote worker safety and health as core values of the transportation design and construction industry. In a new category, Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction was named safety program “Grand Champion.” The judges were impressed with the firm’s achievement of zero recordable injuries since 2022, as well as its ability to make immediate programmatic adjustments when potential hazards are identified. Companies were competitively selected based on their accident and injury rates on worksites as reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA);
their Experience Modification Rates (EMRs) as determined by their insurance carriers; and their safety programs. Finalists from three categories based on personnel hours worked in the previous year were invited to present before a panel of industry judges. Selection criteria also included demonstration of key principles of safety excellence including management commitment, employee participation, incident investigation, auditing, planning and risk assessment. The awards were presented as follows: Less than 500,000 personnel hours — J. Banicki Construction Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.; 500,000 to 1 million personnel hours — Hawkins Construction Co., Omaha, Neb. More than million personnel hours — Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction, Draper, Utah. For more information, visit www.artbafoundation.org and visit www.artba.org.
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