Texas 11, May 21, 2023

Interstate 30 Undergoes $334M Upgrade in Rockwall

With a scenic view of Lake Ray Hubbard as the backdrop, the Texas Department of Transportation and the city of Rockwall marked the start of construction on the second segment of the Interstate 30 expansion project. Local and state leaders gathered with shovels in hand to officially break ground on the highly-anticipated improvements.

The TxDOT project is widening the interstate and making improvements from Garland to the Hunt County line. Over the lake portion of the interstate, crews will widen I-30 from six lanes to eight, add one-way frontage roads, bridge construction and reconstruct the Horizon Road interchange.

The $334 million project is a priority for TxDOT’s Texas Clear Lanes program, which focuses on the most congested roadways in Texas.

Everyone involved in the project shares a consensus of how essential this expansion will be for the area.

“All too often, major crashes on the I-30 bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard have resulted in major congestion,” said Texas Transportation Commissioner Robert Vaughn. “Paired with a booming population and increased roadway usage, this important stretch of I-30 needed a smart solution to help get folks to where they’re going safely.”

Segment two of the I-30 expansion project extends across the lake from Dalrock Road to State Highway 205. It also will build continuous frontage roads from SH 205 across Lake Ray Hubbard, additions that will dramatically improve reliability during major incidents.

The widening of this highway comes amid significant growth in the region. Rockwall County has consistently been named one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation. With I-30 serving as a major east-west corridor, the added population and commerce means more commuter traffic and congestion.

Rockwall Mayor Kevin Fowler expressed his gratitude for the work being done to ease that congestion and keep traffic flowing into and out of the city.

“I-30 is of extreme importance to Rockwall and specifically to the longevity and financial wellbeing of our city,” said Fowler. “This road is how people travel from other

counties to patronize our businesses and contribute to our prosperity. We thank TxDOT for making us a priority and for ensuring, through this expansion, that Rockwall will grow and prosper for many years to come.”

The I-30 project marks a long productive partnership with a number of local partners and stakeholders in the county, including County Commissioner Dennis Bailey.

“For the past 20 years, Rockwall County has strived to

build a strong partnerships with TxDOT as well as our other regional partners,” said Commissioner Bailey. “With the passage of the 2004 and 2008 bond programs, Rockwall County was able to prioritize the four interchanges, years ago, that are not only critical to our economic success, but the key to unlocking the funding for the I-30 project under construction today and more in the future.”

see PHASE page 12

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The widening of Interstate 30 comes amid significant growth in Rockwall County, which has consistently been named one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation.

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Niece Hosts Open House for New Fort Worth Facility

Niece Equipment recently held an open house the its newest facility in Fort Worth.

The event was held in conjunction with a NASCAR race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Niece President Al Niece operates Niece Motorsports in addition to his equipment company, which specializes in water trucks, fuel and lube trucks and water towers.

The Fort Worth Branch has been in the works for several years, according to Niece.

“The whole state of Texas is hot for construction,” Niece said, “but I’ve always wanted to be in DFW just because of the volume of business here.”

Niece’s corporate offices and a manufacturing plant are in Buda, outside of Austin, and a second plant is located in Fort Scott, Kan.

The new branch will serve as a sales, rental and service facility for the company’s water trucks, fuel and lube trucks and freestanding water tanks. The 12,000-sq.-ft. sits on a 5acre tract just across the street from Fort Worth’s “equipment row,” home to several major equipment dealers’ branch offices.  CEG

(All photos courtesy of Construction Equipment Guide.)

(L-R): Niece staffers Johnny Rainey, Bill Rose and Shane Foreman answer questions at Niece’s open house about the company’s wide range of water, fuel and lube trucks.

A variety of water delivery solutions are available from Niece, including water towers, on-highway trucks and off-road tankers.

The open house was held on race weekend at nearby Texas Motor Speedway, where Niece Motorsports race trucks would compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The speedway’s official pace car paid a visit to the open house event.

The Niece Equipment facility sits along busy Loop 820 in Fort Worth, near the major concentration of heavy equipment dealers in the DFW area.

Robert Franklin (L), Rokbak’s sales and marketing manager of North America and Jeff Udelson of Easton Sales and Rentals were on hand for the Niece open house.

Pete Menard (R), equipment manager of Austin Bridge and Road, discusses water solutions for the job site with Al Niece, president of Niece Equipment.

A vintage wooden horse-drawn water tank sits in front of the impressive new branch in Fort Worth.

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Gov. Abbott, Musk Break Ground On New Lithium Facility

state and local level for attracting world-renowned innovators to Texas and securing Texas’ own lithium refining production, powering the future of the state for generations to come. Abbott also presented a proclamation to Musk, commemorating the new lithium refinery and recognizing Tesla’s investment in South Texas.

The first of its kind in North America, Tesla’s new refinery will produce batterygrade lithium and house battery materials processing, refining and manufacturing operations for the company’s product line. In July 2020, Abbott welcomed Tesla to Texas after the company announced the construction of its new electric vehicle manufacturing facility, Gigafactory Texas, in Travis County. 

(All photos courtesy of Twitter/Gov. Abbott.)

Gov. Greg Abbott recently celebrated Tesla’s new lithium refining facility and the economic boost it will have for South Texas at a groundbreaking ceremony in Robstown. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Abbott thanked Tesla for choosing Nueces County as the location for the new lithium refinery, noting that the new facility will generate $375 million in capital investment and bring more than 400 new good-paying jobs to Texans in the region.

“Texas is proud to be the home of Tesla, and I thank them for choosing Robstown for their new lithium refinery,” said Abbott. “Texas will continue to be a hub of innovation, leading the way on the future of technology. With the Port of Corpus Christi nearby and Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, the lithium refined here will work its way into Tesla batteries all over the world. I want to thank Judge Scott, Mayor Gomez and other local leaders for bringing such a great company to this wonderful city. Working together, we will power the Texas of tomorrow.”

The governor was joined at the groundbreaking by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nueces County Judge Connie Scott, Robstown Mayor Gilbert Gomez and other local, state and federal leaders. Addressing the crowd of more than 100, the governor congratulated economic development leaders at the

Tesla’s new refinery will produce battery-grade lithium and house battery materials processing, refining and manufacturing operations for the company’s product line, a first of its kind for North America.

The Governor was joined at the groundbreaking by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nueces County Judge Connie Scott, Robstown Mayor Gilbert Gomez and other local, state, and federal leaders.

Addressing the crowd of more than 100, the governor congratulated economic development leaders at the state and local level for attracting innovators to Texas and securing Texas’ own lithium refining production.

Gov. Abbott also presented a proclamation to Musk, commemorating the new lithium refinery and recognizing Tesla’s investment in South Texas.

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Contractor Will Build Bridge Across Lake in Next Phase

PHASE from page 1

Segment three of the I-30 expansion project is expected to begin in late 2023. The entire project is anticipated to be complete by 2027.

Segment one started two years ago from Bass Pro Drive in Garland to Dalrock Road. This latest phase will impact the next section of the lake bridge between Dalrock Road and State Highway 205. The project was awarded to Williams Brothers Construction Co. Inc. for approximately $334 million.

“It’s not every day that we build bridges across the lake,” said Ceason Clemens, Dallas District engineer of TxDOT. “So that definitely takes a little bit longer and a little bit more specialty workers. But it’s something that we’ve done and we can tackle this one as well.”

If everything goes as planned, there will be a total of three continuous work zones along I-30 from Bass Pro Drive in Dallas County to the Hunt County line. The third segment is expected to begin later this year.

“We do ask for drivers’ patience,” said Clemens. “We’re going to have a lot of work going on. We’re going to have a lot of people out there on the roads working, so stay off your phones. Slow down.”

Growth, Demand

According to the U.S. Census, Texas’ population grew by 470,708 last year, the largest increase in the country. From 2010 to 2022, more than nine million people moved to the state.

Rockwall County was recently named the third fastest-

see PHASE page 18

The second segment also will build continuous frontage roads from SH 205 across Lake Ray Hubbard, additions that will dramatically improve

incidents.

(L-R): Rockwall Mayor Kevin Fowler, Rockwall

County Commissioner Dennis Bailey, Texas Transportation Commissioner Robert Vaughn and TxDOT Dallas District Engineer Ceason Clemens break ground on the second phase of the I-30 expansion project.

Universal Studios Coming to Frisco

The city of Frisco has given the green light to construct a Universal Studios theme park.

Universal wants to build an amusement park for kids on 97 acres on the north end of Frisco in addition to a 300-room hotel.

“From every aspect, it will be something that I think the city of Frisco will be proud of,” said John Reynolds, Universal Studios senior vice president of external affairs.

During a final presentation, the city council heard about the park generating $3 million a year in sales and property taxes along with more than $1 million a year in hotel taxes.

Dozens of nearby homeowners, however, pleaded with the city council to delay the vote so their concerns about traffic, crime and quality of life issues can be addressed. Some critics said the final agreement leaves too many loopholes on hours of operation.

People who live near the proposed site of a Universal Studios theme park asked Frisco city leaders to take more time studying it's potential negative impact.

“I feel like it’s a big project, it’s going to impact Frisco for the next 100 years,” one resident said. “There’s no reason to rush through it. It doesn't make any sense.”

Compact Construction Adds Newest Location in Temple

Compact Construction Equipment LLC, the authorized Bobcat equipment dealer in south, central and west Texas, opened the doors of its 15th authorized dealership, operating as Bobcat of Temple, on April 24, 2023, in Temple, Texas.

Located at 520 N General Bruce Dr. off of I35N, the new location offers customers dedicated equipment sales and rentals, parts and service. The full-service dealership will stock a variety of Bobcat equipment, including compact track and skid steer loaders, compact excavators, tractors, zero-turn mowers, utility vehicles and articulated loaders. Bobcat of Temple also will carry several brands of attachments, including Virnig Manufacturing, Belltec Industries and Fecon. The branch also will be a distributor of ECHO power equipment and tools, which includes chainsaws, trimmers, edgers and blowers.

The location will offer convenient parts availability, as well as shop and field service repairs during their operating hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“As we look to better support our customer base, the Temple area presented an opportunity to provide yet another local touchpoint,” said Chief Operating Officer of the Northern Region Jason Rush. “The new facility will save customers in the community time and money when they need equipment, parts, or service support.”

The branch will celebrate its grand opening on Thurs., June 15, 2023, with a Temple Chamber of Commerce hosted ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11a.m. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m.

About Compact Construction

Compact Construction Equipment LLC is the authorized dealer for Bobcat equipment in south, west and central Texas with 15 locations across the region. BobcatCCE provides dedicated sales, rentals, parts and service support for customers in commercial and residential construction, grounds maintenance, landscaping and utility installation. For more information about Compact Construction Equipment, visit www.bobcatcce.com. 

(All photos courtesy of Compact Construction.)

until 1 p.m.

Located at 520 N General Bruce Dr. off of I35N, the new location offers customers dedicated equipment sales and rentals, parts and service.

The full-service dealership will stock a variety of Bobcat equipment including compact track and skid steer loaders, compact excavators, tractors, zero-turn mowers, utility vehicles and articulated loaders.

The branch will celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, June 15, 2023, with a Temple Chamber of Commerce hosted ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Crews Will Widen Highway, Add Two Additional Lanes

PHASE from page 12

growing county in the entire country in 2021. In 2022, its population grew by 5.7 percent to 123,208.

“That’s a significant number of people in a very small area of a 12-mile square that we have,” said Rockwall County Commissioner Dennis Bailey.

The area is desperate for an upgrade in accommodating the new residents and commuters.

“We know it's going to come with some growing pains, but we have a further vision of what this construction’s going to do for us,” said Fowler.

The original lake bridge was built in the 1960s and TxDOT believes the massive population growth in the area has made it inadequate. There are frequent bottlenecks, with commuters stuck in gridlock on the lake bridge even over fender benders.

“A reliever route doesn’t exist so you’re sitting and waiting until the incident gets cleared,” said Clemens.

They hope by adding continuous frontage roads along the lake portion of the interstate and even more main lanes, traffic can still cross the lake if there’s an incident. 

(All photos courtesy of TxDOT.)

Segment three of the I-30 expansion project is expected to begin in late 2023. The entire project is anticipated to be complete by 2027.

Over the lake portion of the interstate, crews will build a new bridge and reconstruct the Horizon Road interchange.

Segment two of the I-30 expansion project extends across the lake from Dalrock Road to State Highway 205 and will widen the roadway from six lanes to eight.

T. E.

Skanska USA North Texas Office Hosts Construction Event

support YWLA’s commitment

Lynn Hammer, executive director, Foundation for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Fort Worth; Meloni Raney, TEXCO president, CEO and YWLA board member; Tamara Albury, principal of YWLA; and Kimberly Burke, Skanska vice president of business development.

Skanska USA Building North Texas office hosted more than 30 students from the Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA) for a Day of Discovery. During the halfday event, the Skanska team introduced students to the careers available in architecture, engineering and construction, along with a panel discussion comprised of Skanska’s women in construction. The students were able to receive real-world application of skills they learn in their AP STEMbased curriculum. In addition, students were introduced to a working jobsite. Before entering an active construction site, they were given a safety orientation, fitted with PPE and gifted a pair of work boots to keep, all provided by Skanska. Additionally, the principal of YWLA was presented a check for $3,000 to help further the school’s STEM program.

“It is our honor to host Days of Discovery for students across the Metroplex,” Kimberly Burke, Skanska vice president of business development, said. “We believe it is important for young women, in particular, to realize they can have long-lasting careers in construction, whether they become an engineer or go into the fields of finance or marketing. It is a growing industry across the country and especially in Texas.” 

(All photos courtesy of Skanska.)

Skanska Vice President Todd Reeves discusses careers in construction and prepares students for a jobsite visit.

Skanska presents a check to further

to STEM education. (L-R):

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Adolfson & Peterson Construction Breaks Ground On Sunrise Commerce Center

Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP), a national, family-owned construction management and contracting company, recently started construction of IDI Logistics’ Sunrise Commerce Center in Round Rock, Texas.

Located at 2380 Oakmont Rd. and less than 1 mi. from Interstate 35, the Class A industrial development project — on 37 acres — will consist of five speculative buildings totaling 465,786 sq. ft. that will be constructed in two phases. AP will construct the buildings and perform tenant finishes. Phase 1 is slated for completion in fall 2023.

“Central Texas continues to see a demand for industrial space, and with its easy highway access and strategic location, Sunrise Commerce Center will provide what users are looking for most,” said Zack Rogers, vice president/project executive of the AP Gulf States region. “This project is a great way for AP to continue expanding and growing in Austin and Central Texas.”

The Sunrise Commerce Center facilities are being constructed as tilt-wall, shell buildings with special DUCTILCRETE Slabs with HEIDEBED technology, providing differentiated slab systems. This technology enables warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities and data centers greater floor space flexibility while lowering maintenance costs. AP’s sitework includes site paving, retaining walls and landscaping.

The first phase features three buildings with various common elements, including rear load capabilities, LED lighting, ESFR fire sprinklers and build-to-suit office space. The 175,170-sq.-ft. Building A features 36-ft. clear heights while the 59,274-sq.-ft. Building B and 76,245-sq.-ft. Building C both have 32-ft. clear heights.

Other project partners include 5G Studio Collaborative as architect and Pacheco Koch as the civil engineer.

AP’s Central Texas office has completed St. David’s Medical Hospital in Austin along with work for the University of Texas at Austin. AP’s Midland-based West Texas office’s notable current projects include Potter County’s District Courts Building in Amarillo and the expansion of Midland College’s Pre-K Academy, while AP Gulf States’ current projects include adaptive reuse work at downtown Dallas’ Santander Tower. Additionally, AP’s recent notable completed projects include the new PGA of America headquarters in Frisco and Vari’s headquarters with VariSpace in Coppell.

Stream Realty Partners Executive Managing Director and Partner Will Nichols and Managing Director and Partner Sam Owen are handling all leasing efforts for Sunrise Commerce Center. Stream, a national commercial real estate firm offering an integrated platform of services, has a growing office in Austin that leases and manages more than 24 million sq. ft. of industrial and office space in the region. 