42 • Outlook 2021
New Rodanthe Bridge ‘is built to last, that’s for sure’ by Summer Stevens
Construction manager Jared Arno is on his way to the field when he hears an emergency siren blaring. But it doesn’t alarm him. In fact, he hears this sound dozens of times a day coming from his pocket. It’s the ringtone on his cell phone. “It’s so I can hear it,” he said. That sound has to compete with massive heavy equipment in operation, the hum of the surf in the distance, and the wind that never stops on the soon-to-be-completed Rodanthe Bridge. Arno is in charge of the day-to-day field operations of the 2.4-mile bridge project, including safety, quality, equipment, labor and subcontractor coordination. He works for Flatiron, the general contractor for the project. He oversees five superintendents, two on-site subcontractors and 90 hourly employees. Interestingly, because this bridge is built from both sides and works toward the middle, Arno runs identical crews on both the north and south sides, dividing his day between each crew. “It’s challenging managing that many moving parts and pieces,” he said. His job starts at 6:30 a.m. with a meeting with superintendents and engineers to plan out the day. He coordinates meetings, trucking and crane use with workers out in the field. The day with the crew begins with a safety meeting and after
Summer Stevens photo
Rodanthe Bridge construction manager Jerad Arno. that, Arno said, “I put out fires,” solving problems or addressing issues that inevitably come up daily in such a large-scale operation. Additionally, because the water in the Pamlico Sound is so shallow – only about two feet in some areas – Flatiron is using an alternative method that is designed to protect sub-aquatic vegetation. “It has only been done a few times in the country,” Arno said. Typically, bridge projects use barges to haul heavy equipment and precast concrete beams to the right location. In contrast, the Rodanthe Bridge project has built an ever-moving railroad
