MoDOT, Contractors Cap Decades of Planning With Bold $550M Overhaul

Sat August 19, 2000
Megan Nichols

Three decades in the planning and the subject of a ballot initiative, the Page Avenue extension is a Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) project that is adding a fourth bridge across the Missouri River.

At an approximate cost of $550 million, the Page Avenue extension is a 20-mi. (32 km) project connecting Interstate 270 in St. Louis County to Route 40/61 in St. Charles County. MoDOT will extend the existing road from where it ends at Bennington Road in Maryland Heights through Creve Coeur Park and across the Missouri River into St. Charles, where it will intersect with Route 94.

“I was first assigned to the project in 1985. After working on it for 15 years, it’s very rewarding to see construction progressing. … It’s pretty much a totally new roadway,” Barry Bergman, MoDOT project manager, said.

The Page Avenue project will be built in three phases over a 10 to 15 year period. Phase 1 is currently under construction and will connect Interstate 270 to Route 94. Construction costs of Phase 1 are $325 million. It is scheduled to be complete by late 2002 or early 2003.

Design work is in progress for Phase 2 (Route 94 from Hemsath to Route N, four lanes each direction), and contracted consultants have completed 75 percent of the detailed design plans for Phase 3 (Route 94 at Route N to Route 40/61, three lanes each direction).

“This project requires a lot of coordination. We are constantly diverting traffic for building bridges, running utilities, and so forth,” Bergman added.

According to the MoDOT public affairs department, Page will provide relief to the congested I-70 and improve overall regional mobility. Beginning in the late 1960s, the need for Page Avenue was studied as part of a regional plan. St. Louis County has preserved the corridor since the early 1970s. The ensuing decades — the late 80s and 90s — brought many public meetings to discuss project details.

In 1998, St. Louis County voters approved an ordinance allowing the 10-lane highway to cut through Creve Coeur Park. More than 60 percent of the voters gave a green light to a land swap for the highway. In exchange for use of 37 acres (14.8 ha) of Creve Coeur Park, the state purchased 1,005 acres (402 ha) of adjacent farmland and made park improvements or additions totaling $40 million. Before the vote, MoDOT started construction where Page Avenue ends at Bennington Place and built piers for the Missouri River Bridge. Approval of the ordinance allowed construction to start in the park.

Construction at a Glance

Since the 1998 election, construction on the sweeping project continues on schedule. Here’s a look at what’s currently happening on the site:

• The project to construct the remainder of the Route 94 and Page Avenue interchange was awarded to Fred Weber Inc. Work consists of paving the one-way outer roads and constructing the new Heritage Landing Bridge. Completion is slated for August 2001.

• The contract to complete grading, drainage, and a bridge for part of the Route 94 interchange was awarded to J.H. Berra Construction Company for $7.6 million. Approximately 90 percent of the grading is already under way, with the entire project scheduled for completion at the end of the year.

• The project consisting of retaining walls, grading and drainage from Creve Coeur Park to west of Bennington was awarded to Fred Weber Inc. for $6.8 million. Construction of the project has started and is projected to wrap up in mid-2001.

Creve Coeur Park Bridge

Construction is in full swing on the project’s most controversial component — a 10-lane bridge through Creve Coeur Park. It boasts five lanes each way with a separate 12-ft. (3.6 m) bike trail on the westbound side. The span will carry the expressway through the park and over the southern tip of Creve Coeur Lake.

“The design of the bridge is intended to blend into the environment of the park as much as possible,” Bergman said. “Every effort will be taken to minimize the impact both physically and visually in the park.”

To decrease noise levels in the park, MoDOT is including a 62-in. (157.5 cm) barrier instead of a normal 32-in. (81.3 cm) barrier. The span will also have a drainage system designed to capture all water runoff and remove it from the park.

According to Bergman, both the design and construction of the bridge are unusual. These unusual construction methods were selected to provide minimal disruption to park activities. Workers are using the balanced cantilever system to build the Creve Coeur Park Bridge.

“It’s similar to how the Arch was built. First, you build the columns. Then, you build the bridge out from each column until you meet in the middle. This method is not the most common, but it provides the least impact on the park,” Bergman said.

The $73.5 million contract — one of the largest bridge contracts in the history of the state Highway and Transportation Commission — was awarded to Walter Construction. The Renton, WA-based contractor was the lowest of five bidders. Major subcontractors include Fred Weber Inc. and MTC Construction/KBates.

Site work began in March 2000, and most of the fill material in the park has been placed. Landscaping is under way on the north side. The overall project is 25 percent complete and is scheduled to finish in the fall of 2002.

Work on the bridge’s substructure is currently taking place. Crew members total approximately 100, but 150 will be building the superstructure at the peak of construction.

“Our goal is to open the road to Route 94 by late 2002 or early 2003,” Bergman added.

MoDOT representatives and the contractors work together on a daily basis and entered into a formal partnering agreement to help meet project goals, including the ambitious schedule, minimal impact on the park, and unique design and construction features.

“It [the partnering] has worked quite well on the project. In the beginning, we had a two-day partnering session with a facilitator. All of the parties were there, and we determined the project goals. It was very worthwhile,” said Kim Greene, MoDOT inspector.

The project team coordinates scheduling on the tight site. “At one point, we had as many as five cranes between two piers. It was kind of crowded on the site; you really had to watch the boom,” Greene added.

Missouri River Bridge

Along with work in Creve Coeur Park, construction is progressing on another phase of the Page Avenue extension — the Missouri River Bridge. Fred Weber Inc. recently finished construction of the Missouri River Bridge’s land piers. Work on the $8.6 million project began in October 1997; which paved the way for a new phase of the project — construction of the bridge piers. Midwest Foundations Corporation of Tremont, IL, received a $28.1-million contract to construct the bridge piers in the Missouri River. Construction is continuing and is currently 40 percent complete.

The contract to construct the remainder of the Missouri River Bridge was awarded to Edward Kraemer and Sons for $79.4 million in July 1999. Work on the project is under way and crews are installing concrete girders. The entire project includes the steel and concrete girders, the tied arch and the bridge surface.

Additional project contractors include the following: Millgard Corp., LaFarge Concrete Corp., Breckenridge Concrete Corp., Nu-Star Distribution Center, Indeco and Thomas Coatings. Crew members on site vary from 60 to 90.

Formal partnering and effective communications between MoDOT and the contractors are important to the Missouri River Bridge project, which requires careful coordination. In all, there will be two five-lane bridges with 5.2 mi. (8.3 km) of 14-in. (35.6 cm) H-pile driven on just one bridge. Pilings are driven to a depth of 115 ft. (34.9 m) below ground elevation. Approximately 38,000 cu. yds. (28,880 cu m) of concrete will be used on a single structure.

One challenge of this project is the use of three different types of footing foundations, which are spread footings on rock; footings on 3 ft. (90 cm) diameter and 6 ft. (180 cm) diameter drilled shaft/rock socket; and footings founded on 14-in. (35.6 cm) H-pile.

On-site equipment is extensive and includes a Toyo 75 hp (56 kW) sand pump, Cat 950 loader, Cat 977 loader, Bantam S-688A and S688B 20-ton (18 t) cranes, Terex RT230 30-ton (27 t) crane, IHC S-35 hydrohammer, HPST 260 and 500 vibrohammers, Cat 12G motorgrader, Hughes drill attachment, Hayne reverse circulation top drive, 52-ft. (15.8 m) 750 hp (55 kW) push boat, and two safety boats.

The site’s skyline also is dotted with Manitowoc cranes such as the 222 West series and two 4000 150-ton (135 t) cranes, two 3900 100-ton (90 t) cranes, a 2900 65-ton (58.5 t) crane, and the M80.

As work proceeds on schedule, more grading and bridge construction remain. In the months ahead, MoDOT anticipates a lot of activity on both sides of the river.

According to MoDOT officials, the main challenge of the project is coordinating sub and superstructure work with multiple prime contractors. The Page Avenue extension project team addresses the challenge and continues to collaborate on a daily basis, turning decades of planning into the reality of a massive roadway linking St. Louis County with the growing St. Charles County.

For more information about the Page Avenue extension, call the MoDOT St. Louis District office at 314/340-4100 or 888-ASK-MODOT.