Designer 116

ISSUE 116 | 2023

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE

THE ULTIMATE CORRIDOR New era of mobility, safety and access in central Florida

PASSENGER-CENTRIC DESIGN Expansion grows capacity and improves traveler experience

RAPID CONNECTION New BRT system delivers reliable service in Minneapolis

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Dallas Love Field Runway Reconstruction HNTB is an infrastructure solutions firm providing award-winning planning, design, program management and construction management services.

Dallas, Texas

hntb.com @HNTBCorp facebook.com/HNTBCorp linkedin.com/company/hntb instagram.com/hntbcorp youtube.com/HNTBcorp

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ON THE COVER I-4 Ultimate Orlando, Florida

DESIGNER is an HNTB publication and is published by the Corporate Communications and Brand Optimization Department of the HNTB Companies, P.O. Box 412197, Kansas City, MO 64141.

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Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

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FEATURING 04

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Runway Reconstruction Lands on Love

Cultivating Green Infrastructure

The Ultimate Corridor

Dallas Love Field’s newly reconstructed runway increases capacity, efficiency and safety

19th century water management gets 21st century overhaul

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Restoring Passage

Passenger-Centric Design

Washington program removes migration barriers to protect important fish species and foster healthy waterways

Concourse expansions help meet airport’s growing capacity needs and set new traveler experience standard in Denver

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Rapid Connection

Elevating For the Future

New bus rapid transit system delivers reliable, long-envisioned service to Minneapolis’ southern suburbs

A history of flooding and a near disaster drive elevated watermanagement measures near crucial transportation hub

Orange Line BRT Minneapolis, Minnesota

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I-4 Ultimate project ushers in a new era of mobility, safety and access in fast-growing central Florida

Denver International Airport Concourse Expansion

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Denver, Colorado

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RUNWAY

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Dallas Love Field’s newly reconstructed Runway 13R-31L increases capacity, efficiency and safety at the nation’s busiest medium-hub airport

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DALLAS, TEXAS Dallas Love Field Runway Reconstruction

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T 8,800 FEET LONG, RUNWAY 13R-31L IS DALLAS LOVE Field’s (DAL) main commercial air carrier runway. It is one of the two runways that serve more than 8 million passengers each year at DAL, the nation’s busiest medium-hub airport and the 31st-busiest airport in the country. When the runway’s reconstruction became imperative, DAL took steps to move the project forward while minimizing operational impacts to tenants — particularly Southwest Airlines, for which DAL is the corporate headquarters and primary hub.

Originally constructed in the 1960s, the runway had last been rehabilitated in 1990 using a concrete overlay with a 20-year design life. By 2018, the existing overlay had seen a dramatic increase in air traffic, as well as changes in airport fleet mix and pavement design methodology that indicated the overlay was too thin for Love Field’s aircraft traffic. Evaluations by the City of Dallas Department of Aviation also showed the runway condition needed to be reconstructed.

HNTB served as engineer of record and resident project representative/construction manager and recognized the potential for a holistic approach to the project scope. The firm recommended addressing not only the pavement rehabilitation but also upgrades to drainage, electrical and Federal Aviation Administration infrastructure. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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“Because reconstruction required runway closure for a period of time, we had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop a comprehensive plan that solved more than just the pavement issue.”

— RYAN SHROPSHIRE HNTB PROJECT MANAGER

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“Because reconstruction required runway closure for a period of time, we had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop a comprehensive plan that solved more than just the pavement issue,” said HNTB Project Manager Ryan Shropshire. “Airport leaders embraced the idea that we could make other improvements while the runway was out of service, which would prevent them from having to complete those upgrades separately in a few years.

“The airport already had completed a master plan update, along with safety, drainage and electrical systems assessments. The project scope included recommendations from these studies so that Love Field could address all the aging infrastructure within runway reconstruction project limits.”

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In addition to full-depth reconstruction of Runway 13R-31L with 30-year design life, the project scope included existing pavement section demolition, storm drainage infrastructure improvements, runway safety area grading, new pavement section construction, airport lighting control monitoring system modifications and airfield electrical infrastructure improvements, including new LED lights and signs. Coordination with the FAA also resulted in an opportunity to install a new precision approach path indicator on the runway.

Construction began in the spring of 2021 on taxiways located outside the runway safety area to minimize runway closure impacts. Extensive stakeholder coordination addressed concerns about how Southwest and other tenants would access the rest of the airfield and manage other operational issues while Runway 13R-31L was out of service. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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Maximizing airport capacity Exit taxiway geometry has a direct effect on airport capacity. A top project priority was maximizing DAL’s overall capacity by creating a highly efficient layout for aircraft operations. To address that need, HNTB took a clean-slate approach to design, using new methodology to evaluate exit taxiway locations.

“Like the main runway, the 30-year-old pavement on connecting exit taxiways was in poor condition,” Shropshire said. “Most of the time, on an airfield reconstruction project, taxiways are rebuilt in their original positions. In this unique circumstance, the taxiway pavement was at the end of its life, so we weren’t tied to what had been built before under outdated design criteria.”

The team analyzed five years’ worth of data in the FAA’s landing events database, collected at specific airports via airport surface detection equipment, Model X (ASDE-X).

This precise ground radar system provides information on runway occupancy times, threshold to exit taxiway distances and deceleration rates for specific aircraft. This cutting-edge methodology is a significant improvement over the FAA’s previous guidance developed in 1983.

Using this data and current design criteria, the team changed the connector taxiways’ geometry and increased their number from six to 10. The design revisions optimize the taxiway locations to make them more efficient and adhere to the new FAA guidance that aims to keep planes on the runway for 50 seconds or less.

Meeting environmental, sustainability and social goals Consistent with the airport’s commitment to the environment and sustainability, construction practices aligned with the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure Envision rating system criteria.

Approximately 92%, or 160,000 tons, of the aggregate base course was recycled from existing pavement, and the crushing process generated finer material that was used as pipe bedding on the project.

Demolished cement-treated base material was re-purposed as aggregate and used as temporary haul roads during construction, and 85% of the earthwork was utilized on-site, reducing hauling efforts and associated costs and emissions. The project utilized solar-powered edge lights for temporary taxiway routes during construction. The new LED lights and signs installed on the runway and taxiways have resulted in a reduction of up to 70% in fixture load. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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“The improvements made by the reconstruction allows Dallas Love Field to continue to service the high demand for commercial and private travel. With travel demands continuously increasing, this project ensures the longevity of uninterrupted travel here at Love Field.”

— VINCENT LEWIS DALLAS LOVE FIELD, INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

As part of the environmental assessment, the team conducted a noise analysis that identified potential impacts on nearby populations. To mitigate noise impacts and keep the public apprised of and engaged in the project, the team gathered feedback and provided updates through the Love Field Environmental Advisory Committee and the DAL Good Neighbor Program’s quarterly meetings held with communities surrounding the airport.

Mailers and flyers also were sent to affected communities notifying them of the temporary runway closure and construction timeline. Monthly internal stakeholder meetings kept tenants, fixed-base operators and airlines well-informed.

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Overcoming challenges The project encountered numerous challenges, including COVID-19, which delayed construction for about a year and then caused significant material cost increases, shortages and delivery delays. Fly ash and cement — critical to the concrete pavement specified for Runway 13R-31L — had severely limited availability, resulting in the team exploring options that included securing them from the neighboring states of Oklahoma and Arkansas and obtaining additional cement from Illinois. As construction began in March 2021, the project encountered 38 days of weather delays in the first four months of construction.

In its construction management role, HNTB placed knowledgeable staff on site to manage commercial services. Through a highly detailed approach, the City’s Aviation Department and HNTB’s construction management staff handled each of the challenges simultaneously, forthrightly addressing them early in the process to mitigate cost and schedule delays.

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Although material price increases drove the final construction cost to 3.4% more than the original bid price, the total still came in under the original engineer’s estimated project budget. The runway reopened to aircraft traffic in June 2022, four months earlier than projected at the construction mid-point.

Despite labor and material shortages, supply chain issues and numerous weather delays, the entire project was complete only two months behind schedule in October 2022.

Paving the runway to the future Temporary taxiways, taxi lanes and vehicle service roads were implemented during the project to provide continuous access for stakeholders affected by the project. This approach helped DAL maintain operations and minimize travel delays while Runway 13R-31L was closed.

“The improvements made by the reconstruction allows Dallas Love Field to continue to service the high demand for commercial and private travel.

With travel demands continuously increasing, this project ensures the longevity of uninterrupted travel here at Love Field,” said Vincent Lewis, Dallas Love Field, interim assistant director for infrastructure and development. n CONTACT RYAN SHROPSHIRE, PE, HNTB Project Manager (816) 527-2433 n rshropshire@hntb.com

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Cultivating Green Infrastructure 19th century water management gets 21st century overhaul

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HE WEST BOTTOMS IN KANSAS City, Missouri’s Central Industrial District (CID) is one of the city’s oldest historic neighborhoods and home to the famous Kansas City Stockyards, a former epicenter of the region’s livestock industry, which flourished there from 1871 to 1991.

It also was an area with a combined sewer system. Stormwater and sewage flow through the same pipes, which presents hazards given the Bottom’s low elevation, its location on the banks of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers and ongoing residential and commercial developments that are bringing more people into the area. All these factors elevated the already existing risk of flooding in heavy rains. To mitigate factors, an initiative pilot — the CID Green Infrastructure Project — in the historic West Bottoms was launched as part of Kansas City Water’s Smart Sewer program. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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Color of smart is green Through the Smart Sewer program, the City of Kansas City, Missouri began work to update the water systems in older neighborhoods through sewer separation, inflow and infiltration and an approach becoming more popular in urban areas — green infrastructure.

It is a relatively cost-effective approach to urban development that mitigates flooding by combining or replacing existing infrastructure with more organic processes to manage water. In the West Bottoms, it also created green space, reestablished natural ecosystems and drove public engagement and ownership.

“The city had completed some other green infrastructure projects, but not to this extent. So, with the same approach — this particular project was really unique,” said Tom Poer, HNTB project director. “With this project we were able to utilize several contextual applications of green infrastructure.”

The CID Green Infrastructure Project implemented five primary approaches: sewer separation, stormwater collection in cisterns, bioswales, bioretention basins and permeable pavers. The permeable pavers included rock storage infiltration that feed dry wells resulting in water diverted from the combined sewers.

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“The West Bottoms are in a floodplain with a lot of alluvial and sandy soils that drink the water up and pull it in,” explained Poer. “Now, we collect that water into a header pipe that goes into eight dry wells through groundwater injection. Water that would have gone into those combined sewers is now redirected into the water table.”

The cisterns were constructed to collect water runoff for reuse from I-70, a major elevated highway that runs across the historic West Bottoms. This collected water is now used to irrigate the new green space and other sites throughout the area.

In addition to the cisterns, the area along the rivers was dotted with gravel infiltration basins that reduced the flow of stormwater and created significant amounts of rock surface. The Missouri Department of Transportation leases the land and that, in turn, has enabled MoDOT to sublet those areas, creating a new income stream for the state. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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Green where once was gravel Though first and foremost a consent decree project to reduce sanitary sewer overflow, KC Water was eager to take advantage of opportunities to make the area and neighborhood more inviting to the public. The bioswales and bioretention basin, integral to resisting deep flows in the event of floods, provided one.

“This is a green infrastructure project, not a park. But when we took this on, we had a clean slate and an opportunity to make infrastructure visible to the public,” said Tom Poer, HNTB project director. “An incredible amount of landscape design backed by sound hydraulics went into the solution.”

The result is eight acres of green space on what was once a gravel parking lot. It includes a partially elevated boardwalk that winds through a lush new green landscape. It is planted with native trees, shrubs and grasses and, in adherence with the principles of green design, respect for the old was paid by incorporating it into the new.

The 668 square feet of the new green space’s project area includes the West Bottom’s original 100+ year old sett stones, quarried stone that was commonly used in the 18th and early 19th centuries to pave streets because it provided better traction for horses’ hooves. The neighborhood’s sett stones were included in the gateway as well as being recovered, crushed and repurposed to create colored, textured and permeable surfaces at the boardwalk’s entrance.

The pathway includes decorative lighting, seating areas with planter boxes and signage that identifies and describes the plantings.

Altogether the project added 330 trees, 1,104 shrubs, 316 grass varieties and 7,063 species of wildflowers.

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI CID Green Infrastructure Project

Growing relationships HNTB’s long relationship with KC Water was crucial to the success of the project as well as multiple relationships that needed to be established, respected and maintained with the West Bottom’s commercial and residential landowners and tenants.

Many of the buildings are large brick warehouse type structures built in the stockyard’s heyday. The challenges they presented from a water standpoint were downspouts inside the buildings that emptied into the combined sewers.

“We worked with the landowners to come up with strategies to capture water off their roofs and bring it into the green infrastructure system,” Poer said. “They became stakeholders, and because we had their buy-in, they continue to keep their eyes on it. In fact, some of them said, ‘Since this project I haven’t had a drop of water in my basement.’ It wasn’t a project goal but a wonderful bonus.”

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The project demonstrates the potential benefits of using green infrastructure for managing stormwater in urban areas, and its overall success in Kansas City can be attributed to robust collaboration, innovation and community engagement. n CONTACT TOM POER, HNTB Project Director (816) 527-2357 n tpoer@hntb.com

7,063 SPECIES OF WILDFLOWERS

1,104 SHRUBS

330 TREES

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ULTIMATE CORRIDOR

T H E

The landmark I-4 Ultimate, Florida Department of Transportation’s largest-ever infrastructure project, ushers in a new era of mobility, safety and access in fastgrowing central Florida

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HE I-4 ULTIMATE PROJECT IS NOW A WORLD-CLASS INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY that is transforming central Florida’s transportation landscape.

The Florida Department of Transportation began planning the buildout of I-4, the region’s main thoroughfare and busiest highway, in the 1980s. A public-private partnership concession agreement, signed in 2014, kicked off the project in earnest. FDOT chose HNTB to provide construction oversight, a role that included managing the P3 agreement throughout the construction period.

Supported by more than a dozen local, state and federal agency representatives, FDOT broke ground on the massive, $2.3 billion I-4 Ultimate project in February 2015. The largest infrastructure project in the state’s history, the project aimed to remake every inch of pavement on the 21-mile corridor, widening it and adding capacity and congestion relief with four new express lanes — two in each direction — within the center right-of-way. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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PROJECT FACTS $2.3B budget

Public Private Partnership Project Widening 21-mile corridor Increasing corridor speeds from 50 mph to 60 mph Added 4 new express lanes 15 major interchanges reconstructed 150 bridges replaced or widened 70 miles of drainage pipe installed 248 miles of piling driven 4.38 million square feet of MSE Wall constructed More than 1 million tons of asphalt placed 9 city and county jurisdictions 10 miles of sidewalks

5 miles of bike lanes HNTB DESIGNER | Issue 116

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“I-4 at the time largely was comprised of the original interchanges and horizontal and vertical alignments from when it was first constructed,” said John Tyler, FDOT District 5 secretary. “The infrastructure needed to be rebuilt to current standards to handle the region’s present and future traffic growth. FDOT was committed to improving safety and mobility on this vital highway.”

Originally, the I-4 Ultimate project was envisioned as a series of smaller jobs that would have been conventionally funded through transportation taxes and legislative processes — an approach that could have stretched construction up to 27 years.

“To deliver the project in about sevenand-a-half years, as FDOT has done, was a monumental achievement by the agency and the P3 team,” said Mike Gwynne, PE, HNTB construction oversight services resident engineer. “The project stakeholders, which includes several water-management districts and nine agency, city and county jurisdictions across the 21 miles, began partnering with FDOT 20 years before a shovel was put in the ground, and continued that partnership working collaboratively with the FDOT and P3 team throughout construction.”

“The success of I-4 Ultimate relied on these entities coming together cooperatively to support FDOT’s construction. Once they had reached agreements on interchange alignments, aesthetic concepts and what the rightof-way agreements would be, the cities entrusted FDOT with their streets and helped to manage the impacts of construction to their communities to deliver this program,” said Gwynne.

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA

“The success of I-4 Ultimate relied on [the cities and counties] coming together cooperatively to support FDOT’s construction. The cities entrusted FDOT with their streets and helped to manage the impacts of construction to their communities to deliver this program.”

I-4 Ultimate

— MICHAEL GWYNNE HNTB CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT SERVICES RESIDENT ENGINEER

Rd 434 (Exit 94) ate St

Longwood

A jewel in downtown Orlando’s crown 2 State Rd 436 (Exit 92)

Altamonte Springs Maitland Blvd (Exit 90)

Seminole County Orange County

Altamonte

Maitland Eatonville Lee Rd (Exit 88)

Winter Park Fairbanks Ave (Exit 87)

Par St (Exit 86) Princeton St (Exit 85)

Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe Blvd (Exit 84) Colonial Dr (Exit 83)

Downtown Orlando

Amelia St (Exit 83)

South St (Exit 82)

Anderson St (Exit 82)

Kaley Ave (Exit 81) Michigan St (Exit 81) Orange Blossom Tr (Exit 80)

Conr

Throughout the project area, numerous major crossroads intersect the interstate. Of the 15 major interchanges completely reconstructed as part of the project, I-4/S.R. 408 was the most complex.

Orlando has grown around I-4 since the roadway was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. Amway Center, home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic, stands at one corner of the I-4/S.R. 408 interchange; City Hall stands at another. On the other two sides, residential communities were built up to the right-of-way limits.

Utility lines are pervasive, and an Orlando Utilities Commission substation that supplies downtown power is located within the envelope of the new interchange.

These constraints left the project team little space to maneuver, necessitating new ramps from surface streets onto S.R. 408 be built several stories higher than the previous ramps had been. Travel lanes, too, had to be constructed at higher elevations over the existing lanes while simultaneously building capacity outward horizontally. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

xit (E ke pi rn Tu a’s ri d Flo

Kirkman Rd (Exit 75)

John Young Pkwy (Exit 79)

xit 78) d (E oy R

Most of I-4 Ultimate’s lane miles lie within Orlando city limits. The interstate runs through the heart of downtown, where work on the important I-4/State Road 408 interchange began shortly after project construction commenced.

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HAT FREED O NT W

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ILT BU

THE T O

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND AESTHETICS

Besides creating a signature corridor that improves safety and enhances the transportation of people and goods, FDOT sought to connect communities and highlight Central Florida’s rich history. Where the original I-4 design created physical barriers in historic neighborhoods within the project footprint, the I-4 Ultimate redesign relocated ramps and bridges to restore physical cohesiveness.

EATONVILLE, FLORIDA

More than 140 customized medallions, representing each city and county in the project corridor, are located at interchanges, overpasses and underpasses. Cities and counties worked with the I-4 Ultimate team to design their logos. Eatonville’s colorful medallion, emblazoned with the words, “The Town That Freedom Built,” recognizes the town’s position as the first incorporated African-American municipality in the U.S.

Beyond concrete and asphalt, FDOT focused on enhancing quality of life and enriching residents’ and visitors’ cultural experiences with aesthetics and landscaping. Bridge supports throughout the improved corridor feature foliage planters and decorative architecture.

Most of the project’s bridges feature under-deck lighting and aesthetic lighting accents; LED lights illuminate the roadway and landscape lighting draws attention to diverse, native plantings.

Beautiful water features were installed throughout the corridor.

As part of the I-4 Ultimate project, more than 10 miles of sidewalks and 5 miles of bike lanes were added or widened. Other improvements include new pedestrian bridges in three locations and a new pedestrian tunnel under S.R. 436.

An art endowment program, which set aside $1.5 million in the concessionaire’s initiative, funded permanent art installations throughout the I-4 Ultimate project area.

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To streamline traffic for the 200,000 drivers who navigate through downtown Orlando each day, travel lanes and bridge and ramp movements remained open during peak travel times, with closures limited mostly to overnight hours. A complicated set of temporary bridges over Church and South Streets was constructed to keep interstate traffic moving while the construction team removed the old eastbound I-4 lanes and built new ones.

When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, FDOT recognized that shutdown impacts presented the team with the ability to accelerate key projects, including the I-4/S.R. 408 downtown interchange.

“I-4 Ultimate was viewed as an economic driver to help the state recover from the effects of COVID-19,” Gwynne said. “Gov. DeSantis asked FDOT to consider how the project could benefit from traffic volumes that were down 30% or more.”

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“FDOT clarified our level of willingness to be aggressive and challenged HNTB to present the contractor with options that would accelerate construction,” Tyler said.

“Among the steps the contractor took were more lane and ramp closures for longer periods during the daytime hours. To finish work on the I-4/S.R. 408 interchange, the contractor took the westbound I-4 mainline to a single lane for a week — an action that wouldn’t have been possible without the dramatic reduction in traffic congestion during the pandemic.”

The I-4/S.R. 408 interchange opened to traffic in summer 2020 — six months ahead of schedule because of the COVID-related project acceleration — as a fourlevel interchange with sweeping flyover ramps soaring as high as 120 feet above the ground. Conceived in cooperation with S.R. 408’s owner, Central Florida Expressway Authority, and considered the crown jewel of the I-4 Ultimate project, the interchange modernized connections between Central Florida’s two busiest highways, reducing travel times and transforming Orlando’s skyline. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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“HNTB’s team brought FDOT and the state some of the best bridge and roadway inspectors, engineers and schedule expertise available on the market.”

— JOHN TYLER FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT 5 SECRETARY

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The construction oversight advantage The I-4 Ultimate concession agreement delivery model allowed for the concessionaire team, which included a design-build contractor and a sampling, testing and inspection consultant, to inspect and accept its own work.

Since the project was partially funded with federal dollars, FDOT and FHWA entered into a projectspecific agreement which enabled the delivery model to proceed, with the stipulation that FDOT, as the state highway agency and project owner, would have construction oversight services to ensure concessionaire quality acceptance processes complied with the contract documents.

In its COS role, HNTB administered the exceptionally complex P3 agreement. Besides monitoring construction quality, stringent performance measures in the contract called for auditing the day-to-day operations of the concessionaire, its contractors and its consultants to make sure contractual standards for traffic flow, accident clearing, hurricane response and other operational requirements were met.

To carry out this unique assignment efficiently and with as little disruption to the concessionaire team as possible, HNTB developed a cutting-edge, risk-based audit program and software tool (RBAP) in cooperation with FDOT. RBAP’s requirements verification database — a collection of requirements extracted from the agreement — form individual, auditable ‘data points’ that can be updated in minutes. HNTB also built frequency-driven and ad hoc inspection capabilities into the system. RBAP includes a web-based platform that facilitates audit scheduling, audit workflows and communications with the concessionaire to resolve any noted material failures, construction deficiencies or other issues. The system was used for auditing construction, operations and maintenance and federal compliance oversight.

Beyond contract oversight and helping the concessionaire develop solutions to get the work done and keep the public moving and safe, the non-traditional COS role involved coordinating construction activities, including lane closures and detours with the nine jurisdictions across the project length. HNTB also worked closely with FDOT’s public information consultant to distill information and engineering drawings into concepts the public could easily absorb.

“The many facets of the job required a detailed eye for both coordination and management to ensure what was committed to was actually delivered,” Gwynne said.

“HNTB’s team brought FDOT and the state some of the best bridge and roadway inspectors, engineers and schedule expertise available on the market,” Tyler said. “They already had local experience with project stakeholders, including the City of Orlando and the Central Florida Expressway Authority. Value-added ideas HNTB proposed to the concessionaire helped us complete the project more quickly and efficiently. They were tremendously valuable.”

The benefits of Central Florida’s I-4 Ultimate project extend far beyond the signature corridor itself.

Motorists now experience an I-4 with greatly improved safety, connectivity and mobility, with some peakhour travel times reduced up to 20 minutes. This vital enhancement supports the region’s economy and the quality of life for residents and visitors alike well into the future. n CONTACT MIKE GWYNNE, PE, HNTB Construction Oversight Services Resident Engineer (321) 228-4397 n mgwynne@hntb.com

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RESTORING

PASSAGE Washington State Department of Transportation’s Fish Passage Program removes migration barriers to protect important fish species and foster healthy waterways

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HE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS BEEN WORKING for many years to remove fish passage barriers. Since 2013, WSDOT has concentrated most of its fish passage work in Western Washington because of a federal culvert injunction.

Twenty-one northwest Washington tribes asked the U.S. District Court to find that the State of Washington has a treaty-based duty to preserve fish runs. They wanted the state to repair or replace culverts that impede salmon migration.

The right of taking fish is secured to tribes in the Stevens Treaties. Therefore, the court ruled in the tribes’ favor, requiring the state to refrain from building or operating culverts under state-maintained roads that hinder fish passage. Issued in March 2013, the permanent injunction requires the state to significantly increase the effort for removing stateowned culverts that block habitat for salmon and steelhead by 2030.

Opening habitat allows more salmon and steelhead at all life stages to access important spawning and rearing habitat, including areas that have been inaccessible for years. Installing structures like bridges and culverts that allow for natural stream processes help protect and restore salmon runs, ultimately benefiting both the Pacific Northwest landscape and economy.

As Julie Hampden, HNTB environmental lead on the Fish Passage Program, said, “The Fish Passage Program’s efforts will help to ensure the habitats in these streams support a thriving fish population.”

“This important component of protecting and restoring fish populations will have a meaningful impact to stakeholders, to the communities that are reliant upon those fish and fisheries resources and to stream-based ecosystems throughout western Washington. The Fish Passage Program is a path of opportunity that leaves a legacy of societal and environmental benefits.”

— JULIE HAMPDEN HNTB ENVIRONMENTAL LEAD ON THE FISH PASSAGE PROGRAM

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Under a general engineering consultant (GEC) contract, WSDOT selected HNTB to support fish passage delivery in its Northwest Region. HNTB is the prime consultant under the GEC, working with a diverse array of subconsultants to meet WSDOT’s needs. GEC team members provide a variety of roles — geomorphologists; stream design and environmental engineers; fishery biologists; project and procurement managers; project control staff; roadway, drainage, geotechnic and structural engineers; utility engineers and landscape architects — who rise each morning to meet the challenges of this work. Foundational elements, including stream hydraulics, geomorphology, design and project advertising, are underway.

Complex projects and smart solutions The multibillion-dollar Fish Passage Program is comprised of hundreds of individual projects, each with its own technical challenges and opportunities.

Under the GEC contract, HNTB’s “cradle-to-grave” role includes everything from early planning and environmental services through procurement support and final engineering design, said Don Sims, HNTB project director.

“Fish Passage is a non-traditional HNTB project that draws on both environmental expertise and civil engineering to solve the problem,” he said. “The work taking place now considers the impacts of current infrastructure and determines how we can make lasting improvements. During the life cycle of the program, HNTB, in collaboration with WSDOT, will help to build new bridges and replace culverts on roadways — the kinds of work HNTB has a long history of delivering.”

WSDOT prioritizes individual Fish Passage projects that open the most habitat fastest, often partnering with cities and other entities to correct multiple barriers at the same time and bundling correction efforts to minimize traffic impacts. Many projects are underway at once and more information can be accessed via the agency’s website.

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WASHINGTON STATE Fish Passage Program

EXPERIENCE FISH PASSAGE IN ACTION In this video, see project sites and hear directly from many of the HNTB team members on the Fish Passage Program.

Scan the QR code at left to watch now.

The diverse skillsets provided to WSDOT through the GEC assists the agency in delivering this incredibly complex program. Three projects — each posing its own distinct challenges — illustrate the types of technical challenges faced by WSDOT: • A project currently under design that will remove a barrier at Lake Creek along Interstate 90, where the stream came from a steep hillside onto an abruptly flattened slope. There, water and sediment spread out and I-90 further impeded fish passage. The GEC team, as engineering design lead and technical expert, has been working as a blended team with WSDOT staff to develop preliminary designs for this site that provide fish passage and effectively manage sediment loads. The GEC team is designing and modeling a series of step pools to restore the stream channel and function at this location.

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• Sites along Friday Creek near Interstate 5 include 10 separate barriers. Each will be fixed in context with the others, so that correcting one doesn’t inadvertently create new problems at the other locations. The GEC provided a wide array of support to design and help deliver the project(s) at this location, including preliminary hydraulic design, stream design, hydraulic modeling, sediment transport modeling, environmental coordination and documentation, permitting and procurement development.

• At the Eagle Creek site on State Route 20, where a new culvert will be placed, the GEC stream design team and roadway engineers worked collaboratively with WSDOT project engineers to plan for enough space between the top of that structure and the roadway above in order to avoid creating a pinch point where debris could collect during heavy rains and cause the road to flood. In addition, the new structure must allow sufficient space for periodic road and culvert maintenance activities. At this location, the roadway will be raised to effectively address fish passage goals, safety and site constraints. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT 33

Unique but perfectly aligned HNTB’s team represents multiple offices and disciplines — an army of engineers, scientists and subconsultants that underpin the partnership between the firm and WSDOT, said Henry Hu, HNTB water resources lead.

“I’ve been in the industry for awhile, and it’s amazing how much I learn constantly from all the co-managers, partners and our own experts. You have to be willing to look, listen and make change when warranted.

Our efforts have become magnets for other partners upstream and downstream, that create even more enhanced habitat,” said Chris Damitio, assistant regional administrator, Northwest Region, WSDOT. “It’s important to be an ally and trusted partner in these critical improvements. These efforts not only enhance communities but reduce maintenance and increase sustainability of our transportation system.”

Fish Passage also is unique in the level of collaboration between WSDOT, the project team and key project partners, including Native American tribes and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. All are at the table participating in the design process. The team is further coordinating design with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local communities to ensure that project work avoids negative effects on how water functions in floodplains.

“The industry has advanced in our understanding of the natural world and ecosystems since the mid-1900s, when the infrastructure we’re addressing was built,” Hampden said. “Fish Passage, with its capacity questions and ecological and environmental intricacies, is the ultimate test of an engineering firm like HNTB, challenging our designers not only to manage the complexities of building a transportation corridor but also to build it in this interconnected and complex natural system.”

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“Our primary goal is successfully restoring access to habitat for salmon in the most sustainable, practical and efficient way. We are also very focused on integrating our work in this program with the tribes, communities, municipalities and other entities with interests in these areas to maximize the benefits while minimizing impacts to traffic, property and businesses.”

— CAMERON KUKES ASSISTANT REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR, NORTHWEST REGION, WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

A legacy of promise As a trusted WSDOT partner, HNTB already had a long history of project delivery on large programs for the agency. Considering the diverse nature of the Fish Passage Program, WSDOT and HNTB blended their expertise, filling gaps on the technical skills roster with carefully selected subconsultants.

Many of those subcontractors are small, Historically Underutilized Businesses HNTB is mentoring so they can learn about and align with WSDOT expectations.

That collaboration has built a strong regional bench with the capacity to effectively deliver the program.

While maintaining quality across such a large multidisciplinary team could be difficult, HNTB has worked closely with WSDOT and the project team to create processes that meet the particular needs of the project designs. For example, rather than having a single technical reviewer for a report, a peer review team — which includes a representative from each relevant discipline — reviews the information.

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Multidisciplinary Team • Planners • Environmental planners • Stream design engineers • Environmental engineers • Fishery biologists • Habitat biologists • Fluvial geomorphologists • Project and procurement managers • Project control staff • Roadway engineers • Drainage engineers • Geotechnic engineers • Structural engineers • Utility engineers • Landscape architects • Hydrologists • Traffic engineers • Real estate • Communications • GIS specialists • CADD technicians

“While there are certainly unique aspects to our Fish Passage Program in WSDOT, this is not the only substantially sized state effort at habitat restoration, improved infrastructure resilience, Tribal partnering, regulatory efficiencies or multisite capital program requiring innovative teamwork, collaboration, design and contracting methods. Our program offers a multitude of strategies and lessons in these aspects that have improved our ability to deliver this program.

Of course, the most important aspect of any challenge like this is having a great team to work with and a common vision. Our consultant teams, agencies, tribes, communities and contractors,” said Cameron Kukes, assistant regional administrator, Northwest Region, WSDOT. “We have a fantastic team in delivering this program, and we’ve learned a lot on our path to getting that.”

Hu said the WSDOT partnership and the team relationship are realizing and accelerating significant advancements in stream design and environmental practices. A single removed barrier can deliver impressive benefits by improving fish access for miles, both upstream and downstream. When rivers and streams reconnect, fish can better reach the habitat they need to access food resources, reproduce, escape predators and find refuge from high winter stream flows.

“This important component of protecting and restoring fish populations will have a meaningful impact to stakeholders, to the communities that are reliant upon those fish and fisheries resources and to stream-based ecosystems throughout western Washington,” Hampden said. “The Fish Passage Program is a path of opportunity that leaves a legacy of societal and environmental benefits.” n CONTACT DON SIMS, HNTB Project Director (425) 450-2719 n jdsims@hntb.com

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Passenger-Centric

DESIGN Two recently opened concourses at Denver International Airport help meet the airport’s growing capacity needs and set a new traveler experience standard

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A

S ONE OF THE BUSIEST AIRPORTS IN THE world, Denver International Airport (DEN) served 69.3 million passengers in 2022. Its tremendous growth is expected to continue. In fall 2021, the airport announced Vision 100, a plan to ensure that it will have the capacity and infrastructure to support 100 million annual passengers by the end of the decade.

Capacity increases — more concourses and gates — and capacity enhancements are key to handling growth and enhancing the traveler experience. Even before Vision 100 was in place, DEN began a gate expansion program, selecting HNTB to provide architectural and interior design, structural and civil engineering and project management for its new A-West and B-West concourses. Having previously worked on DEN’s massive hotel and transit center addition, HNTB had a clear understanding of the airport’s goals and guidelines.

Design on the capacity enhancement projects began in 2017.

B-West, made up of four new gates, two renovated gates and six holdrooms included in the 90,000-square-foot project, opened in November 2020. A-West, with 12 new gates, including international gates and 16 holdrooms in 530,000 square feet, opened in November 2022. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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Architectural alliance “At the beginning of the project, DEN’s leadership had a distinct architectural vision for the new terminals as natural-light-filled spaces with bright finishes that invite passengers to take in Denver’s expansive mountain views,” said Jim Childs, AIA, HNTB project director.

“The airport wanted to simplify the design from what had been used in the existing concourses,” said Tim Cahill, FAIA, HNTB chief design officer.

“They developed guidelines that focused on modernist design, with simpler, cleaner materials and easier wayfinding for passengers. The vision was for the building to be in the background and for the passenger experience to be elevated through colorful and comfortable furnishings.”

The airport terms the aesthetic as “simple, modern West.”

HNTB’s design created airy, contemporary spaces with white terrazzo floors, high ceilings, clerestory windows and plentiful lighting. A series of horizontal glass windows and horizontal metal panels allow daylight to penetrate deep into the building. The 8-foot-wide-by35-foot-tall, mostly glass panels were built in a factory, shipped to the airport and installed using a crane to create a unitized curtain wall system around the concourses’ perimeters.

Exterior glazing filters the light and reduces solar heat and glare, endowing the concourse interiors with natural light while maintaining comfortable temperatures for travelers. The new glazing system design uses a fritted glass pattern to create a subtle, elegant image of the mountains as viewed from the exterior, in keeping with the stepped metal panel of the original airport.

Even though the new concourses are radically different in interior feel, their basic form and shape follow the character of the existing DEN concourses, consistent with airport leadership’s goals. Visual ties, created by extending the existing datum lines, installing the same carpet materials and maintaining ceiling features, carry the older terminals into the new. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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DENVER, COLORADO DEN Concourse Expansion

“One of the greatest compliments we received from DEN leadership was about our ability to listen and create something new and spectacular while remaining thoughtful and respectful of the existing facility,” Childs said.

Elevated passenger experience Every element of the A-West and B-West concourses was designed to enhance the user travel experience.

The spaces influence how airline passengers feel as they move through the new concourses, beginning with ceiling acoustics and speaker systems used to create a soothing environment. The calm is evident as travelers move from the legacy concourses, which tend to be louder, into the new spaces, where noise transmission and reverberation are much reduced. Passengers can talk quietly and clearly hear gate announcements and music playing.

To eliminate concourse congestion caused by queue lines as people wait to board planes, the design team situated boarding at the buildings’ perimeters.

Holdrooms are easily navigable so that people can effortlessly move about them or leave and return.

They were designed both to provide adequate seating for the expected number of passengers and to consider travelers’ differing needs. A businessperson, for example, might be focused on getting work done while waiting to board a plane. A family might need a space where they can sit together and parents can interact with children without disturbing others in the holdroom.

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HNTB’s design incorporates spaces and seating that respond to the ways passengers need to utilize them.

In addition to traditional seating, the holdroom design introduces high-top and low tables, lounge seating, individual recliners, areas for families and partitioned “quiet zone” spaces with sight lines to monitor boarding updates. Longer, upholstered options, where groups can gather or travelers can lie down, rest in the center of the terminal. All seating offers outlets where people can charge their phones or computers.

“The seating has changed how this airport is utilized,” Childs said.

At the ends of both the A-West and B-West concourses are outdoor patios, secured with 10-foot glass walls, that overlook the Rocky Mountains. These exterior decks, leveled up with fire pits, lounge seating, bar areas and pet relief spots, give passengers and airline personnel an opportunity to step outside, enjoy the Denver sunshine and the view and experience a unique moment of respite during their travels.

“HNTB’s design incorporates all of DEN’s goals, not just by adding capacity but by infusing the expansion with flow and amenities that create an exceptional customer experience,” said Jim Starling, DEN’s chief construction and infrastructure officer. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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Unexpected amenities Perhaps the most notable blend of design and function is on display where HNTB was asked to pull natural lighting into an unexpected area: the concourse restrooms. Distinct entryways feature blue quartz walls and clearly identify the space’s purpose from the concourse’s circulation paths.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lavatory areas invite outdoor light to spill into the space. Overlooking the airport apron, the windows provide travelers with an immersive aviation experience in the foreground and views to the vista of the mountains in the distance.

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A B A-WEST

PROJECT FACTS

B-WEST

12 NEW GATES

4 NEW GATES 2 RENOVATED GATES

16 HOLDROOMS

6 HOLDROOMS

530,000 SQUARE FEET

NEARLY 90,000 SQUARE FEET

“Ninety percent of travelers will access the restrooms,” said Natasa Forbes, NCIDQ, IIDA, senior interior designer at HNTB. “Our goal was to make them spectacular, not just in the architecture and the introduction of daylight, but also in comfort and convenience. Every passenger has access to automated, touchless fixtures and a paper towel dispenser right next to their hand-washing station. A shelf was added at the sinks to hold small bags. The mirrors are illuminated. The women’s restrooms have added purse hooks, a small, but meaningful, amenity. Our goal was to step away from the usual sterile airport restroom and create a more hotel-like experience.”

“These are not the airport restrooms people are accustomed to,” Cahill said. “These light-filled rooms have sloped ceilings and beautiful materials, with distinctive sink and water design. We created prototype designs that became such a special feature for DEN that we’re now taking those ideas to the design of other airports.” ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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Sustainable results HNTB also designed with sustainability in mind. The expansion project’s energy-efficient design is estimated to result in energy savings of up to 20% compared to a typical concourse. More than 90% of the waste generated during construction was recycled. The project reduced interior lighting by 40% and water demand by 45% through efficient plumbing installations.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are energy efficient, and energy recovery systems have been installed to efficiently use exhaust air and outdoor air.

Sensors installed in office spaces reduce electricity use based on occupancy. A solar photovoltaic array on the rooftop provides clean power.

The frit pattern on the glass curtain walls — the beautiful design element that offers passengers a subtle visual of Colorado’s mountains — also provides a shading coefficient that minimizes heat loss and heat gain.

Concourse B-West achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification in December 2021, and Concourse A-West’s LEED application has been submitted.

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A representation of the future In addition to HNTB’s two concourse projects on the west side of the airport, DEN has a parallel program on the east side. The two programs together will add 39 new gates, plus five additional gates for Frontier ground load. Consistent with DEN’s Vision 100 plan, the gate expansion program accommodates the airport’s current and future growth for both passengers and airlines and dramatically improves the traveler experience at the airport.

“DEN expects to welcome 100 million passengers within the next six to eight years,” Starling said.

“To accommodate that growth, we essentially added a medium-sized airport in the middle of our large-hub airport. The expansion achieved far more than adding utilitarian gates for the purpose of accommodating more travelers. Customer experience was a high priority. Our key airline partners — United, Southwest and Frontier — have long-term leases and capacity to grow, and the focus on amenities that appeal to customers positions us to reach our Vision 100 goals.”

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As soon as Concourse B-West opened, it began receiving accolades for design excellence, including winning a Gold award from the Mid-America Chapter of the International Interior Design Association.

“DEN serves as a regional economic engine and a significant gateway to cities across the U.S. and the globe,” said Reza Akhavan, PE, HNTB Denver office leader. “The accolades the airport is receiving on the expansion are well deserved for the experience they are delivering to passengers.”

Passenger surveys confirmed the success of the new terminals, and DEN now has selected HNTB to begin implementing the A-West and B-West design strategies into all existing Concourse B holdrooms. n CONTACT JIM CHILDS, AIA, HNTB Project Director (720) 595-7694 n jchilds@hntb.com

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RAPID

CONNEC TION Minneapolis’ new Orange Line bus rapid transit system delivers reliable, long-envisioned service to the city’s southern suburbs

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I

-35 WEST BETWEEN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS AND THE CITY’S SOUTH METRO suburbs is Minnesota’s busiest commuter corridor. Regional leaders held a years-long vision for expanded bus service along the interstate that would improve access to the communities of Richfield, Bloomington and Burnsville. That goal was realized in December 2021 with the opening of the 17-mile Orange Line bus rapid transit system.

Developed by Metro Transit, Minneapolis’ primary public transportation operator, the Orange Line’s frequent, all-day, seven-day-a-week service complements local and express bus routes along I-35W by providing competitive station-to-station travel times and a new option for reverse commuters — those who live in the urban core and work in the suburbs.

“Trip reliability into a downtown area is always important to transit agencies,” said Nick Spitzer, project manager for HNTB, the project’s prime consultant. “Metro Transit also focused on ensuring that the Orange Line accommodates people who are going into the suburbs for work or to businesses outside of downtown. The whole corridor now delivers that reliability, no matter which direction a rider is traveling.”

The Orange Line provides access to 198,000 jobs, including 56,000 jobs outside of downtown Minneapolis. With 26 high-frequency weekday routes, the Orange Line replaces a combination of previous routes, delivering more than 14,000 daily transit riders to their destinations with fewer stops and shorter travel times. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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17

M I LES OF BUS RAPID

TRANSIT

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

QUICK FACTS

Orange Line BRT

26 14,000 D A I LY T R A N S I T R I D E R S

HIGH-FREQUENCY WEEKDAY ROUTES

ACCESS TO

198,000 JOBS

56,000 JOBS OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS

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Dedicated guideways cut commute time Collaboration, clear vision and innovative techniques converged to achieve the Orange Line’s success. To make the rider experience more efficient, minimize the heavily congested interstate corridor’s impact on travel times and reduce conflict points where accidents could occur, the design team evolved the project from previous BRT or arterial BRT routes into about 10% of the Orange Line operating in dedicated guideways. Those areas include: • Knox Avenue Transitway. The Orange Line’s dedicated lanes showpiece is the new Knox Avenue Transitway, Minnesota’s first bus-only tunnel, which passes under I-494, one of the busiest stretches of highway in the state. Using this direct route under the freeway reduces travel time between 76th and 82nd Streets by 10 minutes.

The project team was tasked with minimizing disturbance to the heavily traveled I-494 corridor during construction of the bus-only tunnel. Tunnel design also had to accommodate a flyover that will be built at the location when the Minnesota Department of Transportation reconstructs the nearby I-35W/I-494 interchange.

To maintain I-494 traffic while the Transitway was being built, Metro Transit, HNTB and project partner MnDOT elected to build the tunnel in halves. This decision allowed the southbound I-494 lanes to remain open as the north half of the tunnel was built below, reducing travel delays for commuters and opening one full side of the freeway for tunnel construction.

The process then was flipped for the southern half of tunnel construction.

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• 12th Street ramp at I-35W. A new bi-directional, transit-only flyover ramp moves buses on and off the freeway at 12th Street as they come into and out of downtown.

“Before the Orange Line was built, buses entering downtown used to sit in traffic on 11th Street and had to navigate around parking,” said Metro Transit Project Manager Derek Berube. “In the afternoons, buses sat in traffic on the old 12th Street ramp to get out of downtown. Buses had to merge into Highway 65 traffic from the right, and sometimes multiple buses would be stuck on the ramp, racking up delays for hundreds of passengers in the peak hours.”

The new ramp crosses over Highway 65. Where shoulders were pushed out to accommodate the dedicated flyover lanes, HNTB needed to gain additional vertical clearance at the structure to meet design standards. This was achieved by lowering the roadways approximately 1 foot at the 15th Street bridge along Highway 65.

The roads also were widened closer to the bridge abutment, reducing the unused space in front of the existing abutment to zero feet. For this to work without closing the 15th Street bridge during construction, the team used a soil nail wall in front of an existing bridge abutment to preserve right of way without impacting the structure.

The 12th Street ramp alleviates one of the Metro Transit network’s most-congested points, provides a seamless connection for 700 bus trips each day and improves trip time and reliability for some 13,000 daily I-35W transit riders. After buses enter 12th Street from the ramp, they counterflow general traffic, moving west in a dedicated lane that ties into the two roads that service the four downtown Metro Transit stations.

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• Lake Street Station. Continuing south from 12th Street, the iconic new Lake Street Station stands between the northbound and southbound lanes of I-35W. Multiple transit routes connect at the station. Buses exiting the freeway enter a dedicated center station platform bridge that allows customers to board both the Orange Line and I-35W express bus routes on the freeway level.

The bus-only guideway removed previous bus weave across three lanes.

• 46th Street Station. South of the Lake Street Station, the I-35W and 46th Street Station opened in 2010 as the first BRT station constructed in Minneapolis. The Orange Line uses dedicated lanes that already served two local bus routes.

With the Orange Line project, Metro Transit updated signage and ticket machines in the station. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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“

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T R I P R E L I A B I L I T Y I N T O A D O W N T O W N A R E A I S A LWAY S IMP ORTANT TO TRANSIT AGENCIES . THE WHOLE CORRIDOR NOW DELIVERS THAT

RELIA

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ABILIT NO MATTER WH ICH DIRECTION A RIDER IS TRAVELING .

— NICK SPITZER HNTB PROJECT MANAGER

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”

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Delivering benefits to area communities The large Orange Line corridor is diverse, encompassing suburban and urban residential areas, employment centers and the downtown core.

Population demographics vary greatly along the corridor, with high-income and low-income residential areas in both Minneapolis and the suburbs.

Initial planning determined that the Orange Line offered a dramatic opportunity to provide traditionally underrepresented communities along the route with equitable, affordable access to jobs and other services.

Before the Orange Line was constructed, individuals in these communities sometimes had to take multiple bus lines and make several stops to reach their destinations.

The Orange Line established a single, more-direct service line that offers trainlike features, including ADA-compliant, heated stations with bus schedules, ticket vending machines, seating under canopies and bicycle parking. Branded vehicles distinguish the Orange Line service. Stations were placed purposefully at the points where they would be most utilized, providing convenience, travel reliability and improved connections.

Of the 195,000 people within walking distance of the Orange Line, 18% live with an income below the poverty level. The new line provides much-needed infrastructure for all community members to reach recreation activities, school, employment centers and grocery stores as an affordable alternative to private vehicles.

“The Orange Line serves as a model for BRT standards in Minneapolis. It embraces core elements of BRT planning and is an example of how each corridor has to identify and implement the right set of tools to improve access to riders, increase on-time performance and provide a comfortable, accessible trip.”

— CHRISTINA MORRISON METRO TRANSIT PROJECT MANAGER

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2nd Avenue Bus Stops

Marquette Bus Stops

Opening economic development opportunity The Orange Line stations not only serve the riders who use it for their daily commutes, but also promote economic growth opportunities in adjacent properties.

The Twin Cities region has experienced a booming economy in recent years, with development trends increasing. In nine of the 12 Orange Line station areas, the project team identified more than 260 sites, totaling 375 acres, that are suitable for transit-supportive, higher-density development or redevelopment.

Minneapolis I-35W & 46th Street Station

46th Street

66th Street

I-35W & 66th Street Station 515

Knox Avenue & 76th Street Station

Richfield

76th Street

Knox Avenue & American Boulevard Station

Bloomington 98th Street

I-35W & 98th Street Station

Nicollet Avenue

Most of the immediate station areas in Richfield, Bloomington and Burnsville allow medium- to high-density residential development. The connection from downtown Minneapolis also will promote other growth in the city’s southern suburbs. Bloomington, for example, has leveraged the Orange Line’s presence in its Penn American District mixed-use redevelopment project, which includes more than 100,000 square feet of residential, retail and hotel space. ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

I-35W & Lake Street Station

Lake Street

Burnsville Heart of the City Station Burnsville Parkway

I-35W Burnsville Parkway Station

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Model for BRT standards in Minneapolis Upon opening, the Orange Line saw 11 straight months of steep ridership growth, despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. By January 2023, average weekday ridership was 1,046 — double the same month in 2022. There was no weekend service before the Orange Line opened. Average daily ridership on weekends now is 400 to 500.

As the region’s second BRT system, the Orange Line connects people across the region to job centers, housing options and destinations in the corridor. In addition to expanded accessibility, it promotes and complements walkable neighborhoods in the station areas.

“The Orange Line serves as a model for BRT standards in Minneapolis,” said Metro Transit Project Manager Christina Morrison. “It embraces core elements of BRT planning and is an example of how each corridor has to identify and implement the right set of tools to improve access to riders, increase on-time performance and provide a comfortable, accessible trip.” n CONTACT NICK SPITZER, PE, HNTB Project Manager (763) 852-2136 n nspitzer@hntb.com

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Elevating FOR THE FUTURE A history of flooding and a near disaster drive elevated water-management measures

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HE ARGENTINE, ARMOURDALE AND CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AREAS IN Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, form a crucial national transportation hub key to moving goods throughout the nation. It includes the Kansas City Terminal Railway, a joint operational center for numerous Class I railroads, including BNSF, Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Norfolk Southern Railway as well as many other Class II and III railroad carriers and Amtrak.

Nestled in the crook of the Missouri and Kansas rivers, the area has endured persistent flooding problems there for decades, and one of the most serious and potentially devastating events occurred in 1993, when crests reached mere inches below some levee units. Overtopping or a levee breach would have been disastrous.

“The existing levees and floodwalls held and performed as designed,” said Tom Poer, HNTB project director. “But there was more than $3 billion worth of infrastructure in that area that could have been impacted.” ANGLE-DOUBLE-RIGHT

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Size, Scale and Scope Raising and improving 17 miles of levees Installing 12 railroad closure structures Raising 4 bridges above critical flood levels Repairing 11 pumping stations Installing 300 relief wells Relocating or modifying 200+ utilities across and under 5 existing mainline rail tracks

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The KC Levees Program is an ambitious, ongoing project designed to further reduce the risk of flooding to these areas that are so economically vital to so many stakeholders. The bistate program between Kansas and Missouri was supported by 100% federal funding and created in partnership with the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Besides flood protection, the initiative was charged with minimally impacting the rail companies’ operations, a daunting task given the scale of the associated operational, financial and scheduling considerations.

Identifying constraints early on allowed the development of robust and risk informed mitigation strategies, and prompt, clear and precise feedback drove thorough, mutually informed submittals and communications. Designated as a fast-track program, it required significant resources and expertise from a variety of disciplines at HNTB, including structural, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, civil and hydrology and hydraulics.

When completed, the KC Levees Program will raise and improve 17 miles of levees, repair 11 pumping stations and completely replace two others.

Approximately 130 relief wells will be installed, and more than 200 utilities will be relocated or modified, which includes those across and under five existing mainline tracks. HNTB designed 12 closure structures, which are breaks in a levee or floodwall where railroad tracks or a roadway pass through and a temporary floodwall is installed during a flood event. These structures are being constructed across tracks owned and operated by the BNSF and Union Pacific railroads and the Kansas City Terminal.

The project includes full replacement of an existing stoplog structure at one end of the BNSF Railway’s Argentine Yard and construction of a new stoplog structure, including an H-pile foundation, concrete sill, concrete floodwalls, modifications at two hump leads and an industrial track that services local businesses. The project also includes modifications to two Union Pacific Railroad bridges and a third bridge by Kansas City Terminal railroad to raise it above the projected flood levels.

Every day, more than 2,100 railcars arrive and depart the Argentine Yard, which is the second busiest U.S. rail center.

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI | KANSAS CITY, KANSAS KC Levees Program

“The risk for significant impacts to railroad operations at 12 high traffic locations and limiting impacts to property owners adjacent to and within the project footprint were easily some of the most challenging obstacles we faced on KC Levees,” says Scott Mensing, KC Levees program manager, USACE, Kansas City District.

A powerful partnership One of the most integral aspects of the program has been the collaboration with the USACE. The scope of the undertaking also demonstrated the importance of robust advocacy work and building genuine, mutually beneficial relationships, including with the Missouri and Associated Rivers Coalition. The USACE provided technical and design assistance while HNTB delivered the resources and expertise to implement the project.

It was a dynamic exercise in collaborative problemsolving that drove innovative solutions to numerous complex design, construction and logistical challenges.

Notable innovative solutions include the strategic placement of floodwalls set back behind the existing floodwalls. This approach built resiliency and saved significant construction costs by not modifying the existing floodwall as well as providing a temporary flood protection solution to the contractor during construction. Another innovative solution included the probability of structure failure analysis method to determine the suitability to re-use the existing gatewell structures. This approach was applied to existing gatewells to determine the annual exceedance probability (AEP) for the structures to ensure safety while economically advancing the structure design.

“There are big components in this program, and an absolutely incredible partnership with USACE Kansas City District, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, the Kaw Valley Drainage District, and the City of Kansas City, Missouri where together we built a level of trust,” Poer said.

Innovations included maintaining temporary flood protection while building new structures. An approach was developed that allowed HNTB to build new floodwalls behind the existing ones.

“Rather than construct a patchwork on the existing floodwalls, which had some uncertainty around them, we were able to build new, higher walls that saved in terms of cost and time,” Poer said. “That allowed us to maintain the existing level of protection during construction.” angle-double-right

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Improving Reliability and Resiliency The $529 million KC Levees flood management program improved the reliability and resiliency of crucial disaster barriers. It reduced the likelihood of flooding — and its impact on the approximately 30,000 people who live and work in the area — by 200% as well as impact on more than $10 billion in investments and infrastructure in one of the nation’s most critical warehouse, distribution, transportation and railroad hubs.

The project has demonstrated the resiliency and ingenuity of a community of stakeholders faced with maintaining and protecting an array of interests. Changing patterns are affecting crucial industrial sectors in geographic areas that are increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, including widescale economic devastation when those disasters occur. The KC Levees Program has provided a long needed and much improved level of protection and, with it, a far-reaching sense of security for innumerable stakeholders.

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HNTB DESIGNER | Issue 116

17 miles of stakeholders The amount of coordination required to keep businesses open, operations running and residential property protected along the 17 miles of levees that the project encompassed represented a triumph of communication and goodwill.

Advanced planning and community outreach by the USACE eased the way, and thoughtful community engagement meant that there were only two takings along the entire project corridor. This low number of takings was primarily influenced by including property owners in the design process and tasking the design team to prioritize minimizing impacts to existing infrastructure.

“Early and consistent engagement with property and business owners along the corridor allowed the team to build relationships and include stakeholders in the design process. This allowed the team to build trust, manipulate the design to minimize impacts and communicate benefits of the project,” Mensing explained. “Our relationships and partnerships with the hundreds of stakeholders along the project has been a tremendous success and we are extremely appreciative of their support.”

HNTB DESIGNER | Issue 116

More than that, the KC Levees Program has come to serve as a model for other infrastructure projects, especially those in flood prone regions. Also, it demonstrated how integral close collaboration between the public and private sectors, including a wide range of businesses, industries and residents, each representing a vast array of concerns, can — and should — be to the success of a program.

Advocacy around funding and a long-running working partnership with the USACE and HNTB, helped ensure the project’s completion on time and within budget.

“Close communication and collaboration between HNTB, USACE, the railroads, and all stakeholders allowed us to deliver this program to the community on an extremely aggressive schedule. The sooner we complete the improvements, the faster we can further reduce the risk of flooding to the community,” Mensing said. “It’s amazing to sit back and reflect on the incredible amount of high-quality work that has been completed in such a short amount of time.” n CONTACT TOM POER, HNTB Project Director (816) 527-2357 n tpoer@hntb.com

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Passenger-Centric Design Every element of the A-West and B-West concourses was designed to enhance the traveler experience.

More on page 36

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