ACPA Quarter 3 2019

Concrete Pavement Progress www.acpa.org 8 I - 8 5 U N B O N D E D O V E R L A Y can be accelerated when we have the funding to do so,” explains Tharrington. Because traffic could be diverted onto the opposite side of the interstate to keep it moving, the project lent itself to an accelerated schedule, he explains. “The original plan called for five-mile closures at a time, but the accelerated schedule allowed the entire 21-mile section of the southbound lanes to be closed—moving all traffic to a two-lane, two-way pattern in the northbound lane.” Along with the extended work zone, the accel- erated schedule also meant off-season paving, which required some adjustments for the cold weather, says Bruner. “In addition to using hot water for themix, we also covered the pavement at the end of each day,” he explains. “This required an additional crew to blanket the concrete and we worked seven days a week.” During summer months, work continued at night, but during winter months, the temperature determined how late in the day crews could work, he adds. Extending the work zone closure allowed for a more efficient paving operation and working throughout most of the winter months meant opening all lanes to traffic one year earlier than originally planned. NCDOT specifications call for diamond grinding of concrete pavements to produce a better ride quality and reduce noise, butTharrington points out that the combination of stringless technol- ogy and the ability to extend the length of work zones to allow continuous paving contributed to a high quality product. He says, “The ride quality of this pavement is outstanding.” » continued from page 7 Transportation 12 Accelerated Schedule • Complete 21.6 Miles of South Bound from Spring 2017 to Spring 2018 • Place all 21.6 Miles in 2-Lane, 2-Way Pattern in North Bound Lanes • Complete Remaining 9.4 Miles of North Bound from Spring 2018 to Fall 2018. 9 9 Complete 21.6 miles of southbound from Spring 2017 to Spring 2018 9 9 Place all 21.6 miles in two-lane, two- way pattern in northbound lanes 9 9 Complete remaining 9.4 miles of north- bound from Spring 2018 to Fall 2018