PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION
A Supplement to:
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January 19 2020 Vol. II • No. 2
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Pacific Northwest Connection – Patrick Kiel – 1-877-7CEGLTD – pkiel@cegltd.com
Vandals’ New Digs Will Be ‘Game-Changer’ for Athletes By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
After years of planning, the University of Idaho has finally broken ground on a dedicated basketball arena. Scheduled for completion in 2021, the 62,000-sq.-ft. Idaho Central Credit Union Arena will be the new home for Vandals’ basketball, regional tournaments, lectures, as well as “small and midsize” events, other cultural and special events, concerts and conventions, said Guy Esser, project architect of the University. In addition to the court, the new arena also will include a practice gym, lockers and conference facilities and coaches’ offices. Ground broke in June 2019 on an area of campus north of the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center on the Moscow campus — an area set aside for such an expansion in the 1970s, Esser said. The open grass playing field was “not a well-used
Work is expected to be completed by August 2021. “Good geotech data” is keeping the contractor on track with the schedule.
area,” but was adjacent to parking and used only for intramurals, thus lending itself to the plan for a new arena that will seat 4,200. Of a $51 million budget (following a State Board-approved budget increase), $43 million has been collected, largely through fundrais-
ing efforts in addition to a $10 million gift from Idaho Central Credit Union. Work Begins Site prep started with digging 14 ft. down to place the footings, and dirt hauled to offsite locations. The
concrete footings along the south, lower section of the seating bowl have been poured, as have the large footings for the main roof portal truss. Excavation and subgrade preparation for the east shear wall footings and the east exterior wall of
the practice gym has been completed, but excavation continues at the west end of a parking lot for the placement of a steam/condensate vault while Heritage Landscaping works on various repairs to the irrigation systems. Formwork has started at the east practice gym footings. Meanwhile, excavation and subgrade preparation is in progress for the lower section footings at the northeast corner of the seating bowl. The contractor just placed formwork and rebar for the main west basement foundation wall and is in the process of placing formwork and rebar for the lower sections of the two west stair towers. The contractor is coordinating opening and sleeve locations in preparation to pour these tower sections in late October. Rebar bending, fabrication and placement is in progress at various footsee TIMBER page 8
Emerald City Eyes Park to Replace Alaskan Way Viaduct One year ago, the iconic Alaskan Way Viaduct was permanently closed, but soon the area will be converted into a 20-acre park featuring an overlook wall and public space. The entire park is expected to open in 2024 with the first part of the project at Pier 62, which is expected to open this spring. Last May, the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program got under way. Crews began filling in the Battery Street
Tunnel with rubble from the demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct. The tunnel was then decommissioned after it was found to be seismically vulnerable. Crews cleaned about 250,000 sq. ft. inside the tunnel to remove decades of automobile exhaust. They also removed the tunnels mechanical and electrical systems. They continued to install sewer lines and conducted other utility work. see PARK page 6
WSDOT photo
A dump truck brings fill material recycled from the demolition of the Alaskan Way into the Battery Street Tunnel. Contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West is using the concrete rubble as fill for the 65-year-old tunnel.