continues on page 16 △ PAVING THE PULSE OF THE CITY One of the first things people notice as they drive down Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia, is the bright red bus lanes used by the Pulse Bus Rapid Transit (Pulse) system. To improve public safety, the bus lanes were “painted” red, requiring the pavement on Broad Street to be resurfaced. the paving portion of the project was completed, a separate company applied the red epoxy surface to designate the Pulse lanes. The paving phase had to be completed to allow the remaining phases to progress and accomplish the city’s overall timeline. PROJECT EXECUTION In March 2022, Lee Hy Construction (formerly Lee Hy Paving) began work on this pivotal corridor project for the City of Richmond, starting on the 3rd Street end, moving west to the city/county line, and returning east to complete the paving. Like the overall project, the paving portion was also broken into five segments. Each directional segment had to be completed before moving ahead, given the complex maintenance of traffic operations and time restrictions. To accomplish this work, an aggressive schedule and work plan approach was adopted. With Broad Street accommodating over 12,000 vehicles per day, the city sought to minimize the amount and length of traffic disruptions due to paving. This project execution included 24-hours-a-day, five-days-a-week operation. Except 6 pm on Friday evening through 6 pm on Sunday evening, Lee Hy was at work milling, patching, and paving. The crews and inspectors did take a short break during the morning and evening rush hours to prevent traffic congestion, but work resumed once the rush hour passed. Initially, the work was planned to progress from the outside travel lanes and parking lanes to the inside median through a sequence of milling and paving, but that approach was changed to maximize efficiency and speed up the project. Instead, Lee Hy proposed a mill at night and pave during the day approach. While complex with the number of drainage structures, manholes, water valves, and other in-pavement fixtures, the milling could progress with fewer complications and be quieter for the residents living along Broad Street. Along with the separation of the milling and paving operations (day to night), Lee Hy paved from inside to outside, allowing for better control of grades and surface drainage. Utility crews adjusted the traffic lights for the periods between milling and paving to keep cars moving. After milling two inches from the existing roadway, the city specified a fiber-reinforced asphalt surface mix to be placed at This, of course, was a complex project. U.S. Route 250 stretches from Sandusky, Ohio, to Richmond, and the busy thoroughfare of Broad Street is where this highway terminates. The road is composed of a variety of paving materials, some of the sections having been constructed in the 19th century. Today, much of Broad Street is composite (asphalt on jointed concrete) or asphalt pavement, depending on where you look. PROJECT SCOPE The Broad Street Gateway and Corridor Improvement Project was commissioned by the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Works (DPW) and funded by a mix of federal, state, and local monies. According to the City of Richmond’s DPW newsletter, this project “literally led the way,” stretching from the City/Henrico County line on the west near Staples Mill Road to 3rd Street near the heart of downtown Richmond. While the overall project was very complex and had multiple phases over 20 months, the paving tied the entire project together by providing a continuous appearance from end to end. Along with the paving, the project included constructing and installing sidewalks, curbs, ADA ramps, traffic islands, tree planting, lighting, and new street furniture. All project phases were wrapped up by the Spring of 2023, with the paving phase being the first “out the gate.” The existing asphalt surface on Broad Street was old and worn out, with multiple patches (primarily utility), ruts, and numerous cracks resulting from the underlying pavement (primarily concrete) and the continual exposure to car, bus, and truck traffic. Many of the existing curbs and gutter pans had been overlaid with asphalt from prior resurfacing. While not all the curb and gutter were replaced on this project, it was vital to maintain the current pavement surface drainage. For the paving phase, the project contract called for milling the existing asphalt surface to a depth of two inches, spot repairs of the underlying pavement, and paving a new fiber-modified asphalt surface mix. Once VAASPHALT.ORG 15
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