(SILVER) STP-137C(066)CI, Okarche Bypass, Kingfisher, Okla.

Contractor: Duit Construction Co., Inc.

Owner: Oklahoma Department of Transportation

Engineer: Russell Engineering, Inc.

Okarche Bypass located in Okarche, Okla., is locally famous for fried chicken. It is also known locally for the first County Commissioner to pave a county road with concrete. The imprints on the existing box structures show that this road was originally built in 1942.

This reconstruction project was bid as an alternate bid to asphalt. With 12 potential and nine actual bids submitted, four were for concrete pavements and five were for asphalt pavement. Concrete came in as the lowest on initial cost.

As work began, it was clear to see two major challenges, including the unusual roadway design and a requirement to make a new crowned roadway (where previously there were virtually no crowns).

The engineer had anticipated that the contractor would need at least a month to close the road and detour traffic around the construction zone, but this ended up not being the case because Duit completed the entire five miles of paving in less than a week. This required saw cutting within a very tight window, and because of that, Duit maintained a force of at least eight saws to keep up with paving operations.

Neither of the challenges of this project were a match for the hard work, ingenuity, and dedication of the team.

Divided Highways – Rural

(GOLD) Interstate-80 Rainbow Concrete Overlay Project, Nevada/Placer County, Calif.

Contractor: Granite Construction Co.

Owner: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

Engineer: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

In spite of a short paving season and harsh, unpredictable weather, the contractor finished this desert paving project with no lost-time accidents. Traffic control and handling were also concerns in this area because of vacation travel to the Sierra Nevada resort areas, as well as the constant number of trucks hauling freight along I-80 to cross the mountain range in both directions.

Even so, the contractor finished the project with no significant problems, thanks to teamwork and collaborating with Caltrans.