SCENERY, SAFETY MERGE FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN MIDWAY, UTAH

SECTIONPaving Pages 45-61

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The new road was paved with 3 in. of asphalt. The asphalt mix was a standard Federal Highways composition, using limestone as the aggregate.

Scenery, Safety Merge for Road Construction inMidway, Utah

By Chuck MacDonald

CEG CORRESPONDENT

A bird’s-eye view of the Cascade Scenic Drive and Cascade Springs Road near Midway, Utah, revealed scenic grandeur that drew thousands to view the changing colors and majestic vistas.

For the drivers, however, the experience was less pleasant. Sections of the road were made up of dirt and so steep that drivers’ tires would spin before catching hold and inching up a 12 percent grade at 8,000-ft. elevation. Blind curves and steep drop-offs were common along the drive. In addition, snow in the winter and other weather loosened rock, which would tumble down the mountainside and end up in the roadway.

A joint venture of DSB Construction and Geneva Rock Products, based in American Fork, Utah, took on the $13.6 million project to match scenery with safety on Cascade Scenic Drive and Cascade Springs Road.

In addition to the challenging construction, the DSB-Geneva Rock joint venture had to navigate an intricate array of government entities who gave oversight to the project. Key project team members included U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highways Division, Central Federal Lands Highway, U.S. Forest Service and Wasatch County.

While not a project requirement, the contractor opted to create a CAD-based model, which was utilized in the excavation and grading equipment. On the Scenic Drive section, where no roadway design was provided, this model allowed the finished roadway to be reviewed before it was constructed. By using this process, the contractor identified several areas that could use slight adjustments to improve final roadway smoothness.

The scope of the project consisted of rehabilitating and paving 5.3 mi.