Kokosing Building Corporate is operating on a $101M I-81 widening venture in Virginia, including lanes and rehabilitating bridges between mile markers 221 and 225 in Augusta County. The venture, set for finishing touch in 2027, targets to scale back congestion and reinforce protection at the hall connecting 13 counties and 21 towns.
Picture courtesy of Kokosing Building Corporate Inc.
The Virginia Division of Transportation’s (VDOT) Interstate 81 widening venture impacting northbound and southbound lanes between mile markers 221 and 225 in Augusta County in Staunton, Va., is on course to be finished in 2027.
The Virginia Division of Transportation’s (VDOT) Interstate 81 widening venture impacting northbound and southbound lanes between mile markers 221 and 225 in Augusta County in Staunton, Va., is on course to be finished in 2027, lowering vehicular congestion and adorning protection and capability by way of including a 3rd lane and widening and rehabilitating 5 bridges. Paintings started in 2023 and contains in depth earthmoving; full-depth reclamation; paving; and bridges present process substructure upkeep to strengthen the expanded superstructure.
Picture courtesy of VDOT
Particularly, there will probably be one further northbound lane from the Direction 250 (Jefferson Freeway) on-ramp at go out 222 to the Direction 262 (Woodrow Wilson Expressway) off-ramp at go out 225 and one further southbound lane from the Direction 262 on-ramp at go out 225 to roughly 1,200 feet. south of the bridge over the I-81 southbound ramp to eastbound I-64 at go out 221. Interstate 81 is a 325-mi. hall that connects 13 counties and 21 towns and cities throughout Staunton, Bristol and Salem districts overseen by way of VDOT.
The venture was once awarded in April 2023 and is done by way of the design-build workforce of Kokosing Building Corporate and Rinker Design Mates. Building commenced in November 2023 with the preliminary segment specializing in shoulder strengthening to facilitate visitors shifts vital for median widening. Kokosing’s earthmoving operations actively advanced within the median.
Westerville, Ohio-based Kokosing Building Corporate serves because the high contractor for the venture, deploying 4 crews on-site. The design-builder’s obligations come with finishing design of the venture; obtaining any proper of method and easements as wanted; relocating utilities; obtaining any environmental lets in vital; and setting up the general venture.
The design-build workforce contains a number of subcontractors: Rinker Design Mates for venture design; Haley & Aldrich Inc. for geotechnical products and services; H&B Surveying; Fairfield & Echols LLC for bridge building; CES Consulting for signing and electric; Slurry Pavers Inc. for full-depth reclamation; B&S Contracting Inc. for paving; Mullen’s Markings for pavement markings; and Lengthy Fence Corporate Inc. for guardrail set up.
“In 2019, the Virginia Basic Meeting followed regulation developing the Interstate 81 Hall Growth Fund, which receives revenues throughout the Interstate Operations and Enhancement Program and a regional fuels tax alongside the hall that was once signed into legislation by way of Gov. Ralph Northam in April that 12 months,” mentioned Dave Covington, I-81 program supply director. “VDOT is using federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act [TIFIA] loans to advance tasks alongside the hall extra briefly with low-interest price loans.”
This system started with a hall learn about finished in 2018 figuring out the other enhancements required as a part of the venture.
Given the venture’s location on the busy I-81/I-64 Interchange and the presence of 3 different lively tasks within sight, protection is a most sensible precedence.
Picture courtesy of Kokosing Building Corporate Inc.
“To offer protection to building employees, visitors limitations had been put in and pace limits had been diminished. All detours, whether or not deliberate or because of incidents, will make the most of the Direction 262 bypass round Staunton,” mentioned Joe Duquette, building supervisor.
The venture comes to hanging roughly 190,000 cu. yds. of fill and about 110,000 lots of asphalt. Round 105,000 sq. yds. of full-depth reclamation will probably be performed between the northbound and southbound lanes the usage of reclaimers and bulk spreaders. All different building facets will make the most of standard apparatus.
“The best problem of this venture is upkeep of visitors [MOT] because of its phased nature, which contains the reconstruction of 5 bridges,” mentioned Duquette. “Whilst the median grading is reasonably easy and the website is most commonly balanced, there were no vital environmental or historic affects.”
Building stages contain putting in stormwater BMPs (very best control practices); drainage pipes; full-depth reclamation; paving; bridge demolition and reconstruction; overhead signal buildings; and new signage. Demanding situations expected all through that point are the transitioning and scheduling of labor because the venture strikes via other stages. Duquette added that the realm has sufficiently rebounded from the pandemic and now not encountered any problems with fabrics or hard work in this venture in consequence.
The estimated venture price is $140 million, with Kokosing Building Corporate awarded the contract for $100,831,000 because the design-builder. The contract features a 6 % DBE (deprived trade undertaking) participation purpose. The 3 northbound lanes on I-81 are scheduled to open on Nov. 24, 2026, with considerable finishing touch of the 3 southbound lanes by way of Would possibly 10, 2027. Ultimate venture finishing touch is ready for Would possibly 21, 2027. The Improve81 website online (Improve81.org) has the entire newest information together with video and podcast updates. CEG
Ruksana Hussain
Ruksana Hussain is a Los Angeles, California-based award-winning journalist with 19 years’ enjoy operating with native, nationwide and world print and virtual media for client and industry markets. As {a magazine} editor and lines creator, she covers a large vary of subjects together with building and design, range and inclusion, knowledge privateness and safety, and extra. She earned her bachelor’s stage in sociology in India. Leisurely interests come with touring, random researching and making an attempt phrase puzzles of any nature.
