Del Walker,TREX Construction Oversight Manager

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METRO DENVER, COLORADO
Project Overview
Del Walker,T-REX Construction Oversight Manager
AASHTO SCOE/SCOD Meeting June 9, 2004
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Transportation Expansion Project
Project Map with Station Locations
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Transportation Expansion Project
Light Rail Elements

• Double track system (approximately 19 miles)
• West side alignment along I-25 (from Broadway to
  Lincoln Avenue in Douglas County)
• Median alignment along I-225 (from I-25 to Parker
  Road)
• 13 Stations with parking at 12 stations
• No at-grade crossings (trains will not interfere
  with traffic)
• High speed
• Operational efficiency
• Increased safety
• Additional light rail vehicles
• New maintenance facility

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Transportation Expansion Project
Highway Elements

• Four through lanes in each direction on I-25
  (Logan Street to I-225)
• Five through lanes in each direction on I-25
  (I-225 to C-470/E-470)
• Three through lanes in each direction on I-225
  (I-225 to Parker Road in Aurora)
• Safety/operational improvements
• Acceleration/deceleration lanes
• Shoulders widened where feasible
• Interchange reconstruction at 8 interchanges (not
  all major)
• Complete reconstruction of I-25/I-225 Interchange
• Complete reconstruction of Narrows (Broadway to
  Steele Street in Denver)
• Replace numerous bridges
• Drainage upgrades
• TransOptions and Intelligent Transportation
  System (ITS) elements

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Transportation Expansion Project
Corridor Development

• Summer 1995 Major Investment Study (MIS) began
  by the Colorado Department of Transportation
  (CDOT)
• Fall 1997 Denver Regional Council of
  Governments (DRCOG) adopted MIS recommendations
• Spring 1998 CDOT began Preliminary Engineering/
  Environmental Impact Statement (PE/EIS)
• Fall 1999 Final EIS completed
• Spring 2000 Record of Decision (ROD) filed by
  the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA)
  and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

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Transportation Expansion Project
CDOT and RTD Inter-Governmental Agreement

• CDOT and RTD executed on September 9, 1999
• Establish the foundation for the new relationship
• Work cooperatively together to finance/construct
  the Southeast Corridor Multi-Modal Project
• Implement the Project using a single Design-Build
  Contract for the highway and light rail transit
  improvements
• Agreement on the exclusions from the Design-Build
  Contract
• Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) is unique
  nationally for a state DOT and transit agency

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Transportation Expansion Project
Project Goals

• To minimize inconvenience to the public
• To meet or beat the total program budget of 1.67
  billion
• To provide for a quality project
• To meet or beat the schedule to be fully
  operational by June 30, 2008
• Southeast Corridor Constructors (SECC)
  committed to complete by Fall 2006 (22 months
  ahead of schedule)

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Transportation Expansion Project
Project Budget and Funding Sources

• Projected budget 1.67 billion
• Light rail elements 879 million
• Highway elements 795 million
• Voter approved bond proposals for highway and
  rail elements (1999 election)
• No new taxes or increases to existing taxes
• Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) of 525
  million through FTA signed on November 17, 2000
• Several municipalities and jurisdictions have
  committed 30 million in local matching funds

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Transportation Expansion Project
Design-Build Concept

• What is it?
• Designing and constructing a project
  simultaneously
• Why are we doing it this way?
• The combination of design work and construction
  into one Contract results in cost efficiency and
  more innovative and fast-tracked solutions
• The T-REX Team provided 30 complete design
  plans, the Design-Build Contractor completes the
  design while constructing the project
• Allows for flexibility, creativity, and
  innovation by the Design-Build Contractor

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Transportation Expansion Project
Southeast Corridor Constructors Profile

• Joint Venture Partnership of Kiewit Construction
  Company
• and Parsons Transportation Group
• Subcontractors
• Mass. Electric Construction Sturgeon Electric
• Rocky Mountain Signing Elmore Pipe Jacking
• GE Transportation Systems Penhall Company
• American Civil Constructors Dynaelectric
• GE Harris Harmon
• Subconsultants
• DMJM-Harris Terracon
• Sverdrup Civil HNTB Corporation
• Turner Collie Braden Kleinfelder

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Transportation Expansion Project
Project Uniqueness

• Multiple agency coordination
• Multi-modal approach
• Design-Build construction
• Primary goal minimizing inconvenience to the
  public

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Transportation Expansion Project
Key Elements of EIS Environmental Process

• Joint FHWA / FTA Lead Agencies
• Extensive Public Involvement Program
• Agency Involvement on Task Forces
• Noise
• Air Quality
• Wetlands

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Transportation Expansion Project
Public and Agency Involvement During EIS

• Policy Committee
• Technical Committee
• Public Open Houses
• Neighborhood Meetings
• Website
• Focus Groups
• Newsletter

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Transportation Expansion Project
Key Environmental Issues During EIS

• Air Quality
• Corridor assessment
• Hot spot analysis
• Noise
• Historic Resources / Section 4(f)
• Hazardous Materials
• Wetlands (approx. 5 acres)
• Acquisitions
• 6 houses, 1 duplex, 1 apartment building
• 19 office buildings

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T-REX Environmental Overview

• T-REX Environmental Compliance Approach
• Place the responsibility for compliance on the
  Design/Build Contractor
• Provide FEIS and ROD documents as Contract
  requirements
• Evaluate Personnel and Environmental program
  plans as part of the selection process
• Require Approval of Environmental documents prior
  to construction
• Require monthly reporting of compliance
  activities
• Partner with the Design/Build Contractor to
  facilitate speedy resolution to issues
• Utilize Compliance Auditing techniques to ensure
  the Design/Build Contractor is meeting Contract
  commitment obligations.

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T-REX Environmental Overview
Challenges of a project of this scale

• Vast space required

• Design Build

• Efficiency

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T-REX Environmental Overview
Noise

• Contractor required to analyze and mitigate noise
  impacts in accordance with Federal Guidelines
• Noise mitigation measures were identified in the
  FEIS, ROD, and RFP
• Noise Walls (Highway mitigation)
• Ballast mats, spring frogs (LRT mitigation)
• Public involvement in consideration of
  construction mitigation measures
• Denver noise ordinance adherence/variance
• Successfully secured CCD noise variance for
  construction operations
• Innovative noise mitigation during construction
• Continuous monitoring during nighttime Bridge
  Demolition and other noise sensitive activities
• Provide hotel vouchers for affected residents

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T-REX Environmental Overview
Noise Trailers along I-25
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T-REX Environmental Overview
Air Quality

• Contractor required to implement an air quality
  monitoring and mitigation plan
• PM10 monitors throughout project
• Project installed meteorological station
• Dust suppression during construction
• Report to CDPHE monthly
• Raw data and summary report
• Mitigation measures taken
• Implement Traffic Demand Management strategies to
  minimize air quality impacts
• HOV lane implementation
• Transit, Van Pool, subsidies
• Encourage carpool, telecommuting, and flextime
  with businesses

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T-REX Environmental Overview
Meteorological station
PM10 monitoring site
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Transportation Expansion Project
Water Quality

• Contractor required to develop strategies to
  ensure water quality during and after
  construction
• T-REX obtained permits
• MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer)
• Contractor obtained permits
• CDPHE/CCD Construction discharge permit
• CDPHE/CCD Construction dewatering permit
• CDPHE General Construction NPDES permit
• Report to CDPHE quarterly
• Raw monitoring data and summary report
• Stormwater Management Plan revisions
• Bi-weekly inspections
• CDOT Erosion Control Advisory Team monthly review

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Transportation Expansion Project
BMP placements and Lake Logan
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Transportation Expansion Project
CDPHE Notice of Violation/Cease and Desist Order

• May 19, 2003 Colorado Department of Health and
  Environment issued NOV to the Southeast Corridor
  Constructor Contractors
• Citation alleged violations, of the Colorado
  Water Quality Control Act and implementing
  control regulations associated with the
  construction activities
• Citation made use of T-REX compliance auditing
  information as basis for many of the violations
• The Contractor has effectively responded to all
  action items identified within the NOV.
• Recent T-REX compliance audit activity suggests a
  significantly improved stormwater quality program
  is in place to mitigate water quality concerns.

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Transportation Expansion Project
Hazardous Substances

• Phase I and Phase II investigations to identify
  potential contamination accomplished by T-REX
  prior to construction. Info made available to
  the D/B Contractor prior to bidding
• Contractor required to manage, classify, treat,
  or dispose of hazardous substances, both known
  and unknown throughout project to prevent
  exposure to workers and the public
• Approve Health and Safety Plan, and Approve
  Materials Management Plan
• Sampling and Analysis Plan to identify potential
  contaminants prior to construction
• Incorporation of CDOT Standard Specifications for
  Health and Safety Management
• All remediation plans are approved through T-REX

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Transportation Expansion Project
Various Locations throughout project
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Transportation Expansion Project
Protected Species

• Contractor required to comply with SB 40, SB
  99-111 and FEIS
• Minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitat
  during construction
• Survey of prairie dog, burrowing owl, and
  swallows nests prior to construction activities
  (continuously)
• Successfully relocated approximately 100 prairie
  dogs to Cherry Creek State Park (across County
  lines)

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Transportation Expansion Project
Protected Species
Burrowing Owl
Prairie dog
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T-REX Environmental Overview
Cultural Resources

• Contractor required to monitor excavations for
  archaeological/paleontological materials
• Contractor commitment to halting construction
  operations upon discoveries
• Communication with CDOTs archaeological
  resources
• Contractor working in cooperation with Denver
  Museum of Nature and Science on assessment and
  recording of significant findings
• T-REX, in coordination with the State Historic
  Preservation Officer, has been recording
  historical portions of the project for listing on
  the State Register of Historic Places
• I-25/I-225 Overpass
• General Iron Works
• I-25 Narrows, between Logan St. and Evans Ave

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T-REX Environmental Overview
www.trexproject.com