STREETS & HIGHWAYS/Partners keep reconstruction on a fast track
Albuquerque, N.M., is on its way to reaching its goal of reconstructing the state’s busiest interchange in only two years. That was the deadline set by officials with the Federal Highway Administration and the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department to minimize disruption to the public.
The “Big I,” where I-25 and I-40 intersect, is located in the heart of the city, and, until recently, it was in trouble. When the highway interchange was constructed in the 1960s, it was designed to handle 40,000 vehicles per day. As of 2001, there were more than 300,000 vehicles navigating the Big I, and about 90 percent of them were local commuters.
The scope of the Big I reconstruction, which began June 30, 2000, includes 111 lane miles of new freeway and frontage roads, 45 new and 10 rehabilitated bridges, and the movement of two million cubic yards of earth. In most cases, a project like that would take five to six years to complete. But highway officials planning the Big I reconstruction are determined to complete the project within the two-year time frame. To achieve that goal, stakeholders formed a partnership that included Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, the federal and state transportation departments, the trucking industry, safety and emergency agencies, and commuters.
They also have implemented new tools to fast-track the project. For example, many of the 45 new bridges are being constructed with pre-cast concrete segments, and hot mix asphalt is being used to pave the 111 lane miles of new roadways.
The segments have been used in the eight flyovers — towering, curved bridges — that represent the visual centerpiece of the new Big I. By using the segments, the flyover ramps have been built quickly and easily, maintaining the flexibility and speed that the project demands.
Speed also was a key factor when the specifying engineers chose hot mix asphalt as the main paving surface for the project. The need for traffic maintenance required a pavement that could be applied overnight and ready to handle the morning commute. Throughout the project, two lanes of traffic have been open in both directions because of the decision to use asphalt.
New sections of road were opened to the public as soon as they were finished. That has kept the project running smoothly and on schedule. The $286 million project is scheduled for completion June 30, 2002.