Traffic Shift July 13th; Single Lane Controls July 6, 7

Teichert Construction will be shifting the traffic configuration on Vasco Road during the night of July 12th. The work to implement the Stage 3 Traffic Configuration will begin the night of July 12th and possibly carry over into the next night as necessary. The travelling public will see a new traffic configuration on the roadway on July 13th. The message boards situated along Vasco Road will notify Vasco Road traffic of the changes beginning on July 8th.

On July 6th and 7th Vasco Road will be under single lane traffic controls between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm so that project work can be completed. The message boards along Vasco Road will notify the travelling public of these traffic controls beginning on July 1.

Construction Photos

Construction Season is Here!

Construction of the Vasco Rd Safety Improvements Project continues into the 14th month. Construction Stages 1 and 2 are now complete with the recent paving work that was installed by Teichert Construction’s paving crews on June 2 and June 3. Stage 3 work, the final work stage, officially begins later this month with the shifting of public traffic onto the new pavement along the west project edge. The shift of traffic will allow for the grading and paving work to begin along the east edge of the project. The shift will also allow for the construction of the center concrete median barrier--the project’s primary feature. The large retaining walls that line the roadway edges are nearly complete with only facing elements left to install. The storm drain and wildlife culvert crossings of Vasco Road are now complete which will reduce the need for signal lane traffic controls. The project is still on track to be completed by December 2011.

Construction Continues

Teichert Construction continues construction of the Vasco Rd Safety Improvements Project into the 2011 winter season. Stage 1 Improvements (widening of the Brushy Creek Bridge and construction of 6 retaining walls) were completed during the summer 2010. Construction of Stage 2 improvements began in early 2011, consisting of storm drain and wildlife crossing installation and architectural finishing of the retaining walls. Construction activity has been limited to the recent weather, however Teichert Construction continues to make steady progress. The architectural concrete finish (fractured fin) for portions of the southern project limit retaining walls were recently completed in late February 2011 with the remaining walls at the northern limit to be completed by June. As drier spring weather approaches, it is anticipated that significant construction progress can resume. The remaining portions of Stage 2 (grading and paving) will start in early Spring 2011 with Stage 3 improvements (consisting of median barrier and wildlife fencing installation, grading, and paving) scheduled to start in June 2011. Pending weather delays, the project is anticipated to be completed by December 2011.

Stage 2: Working Through Wet Weather

Teichert Construction continues to proceed with Stage 2 improvements during the recent wet weather. The majority of the construction operations consist of installing storm drain along the roadway in conjunction with wildlife crossings. The wet weather limits the ability for construction equipment to access grading areas near the retaining walls. Prolonged days of thick fog has also limited Teichert Construction's ability to implement lane closures for installation of storm drains across Vasco Rd. As spring approaches, Stage 2 roadwork will commence upon completion of storm drain operations.

In early February, Teichert Construction performed remedial slide repair work at Wall 4 North. This repair operation consisted of excavating a hillside to remove a recently discover slide plane, installing a keyway, and regrading the slope to accommodate the future lane widening.

Excavated storm drain trench at Wall 6.



Forming a storm drain inlet around the recently installed storm drains at Wall 6.



After the recent rains, a weep hole drains subsurface water collected behind Soil Nail Wall 7.

Cast In Place Facing Walls

Teichert Construction has completed portions of the Cast in Place (CIP) facing walls that will ultimately provide the architectural facing along all the retaining walls on Vasco Rd. Upon completion of the soil nail installation and shotcrete facing walls, a CIP wall is then installed to create the final wall face and grades along the future road shoulder widening. A concrete barrier will be installed at the bottom of the wall, to "mirror" the future median barrier.

Wall 2 CIP facing wall forms.

Wall 2 CIP forms and steel reinforcement.

CIP facing wall and exposed shotcrete, geocomposite drains, and soil nails at Wall 2.

"Fractured Fin" Finish at Wall 2.

Concrete Wall 1

Teichert Construction completed the foundation for Concrete Wall 1 in November. This relatively small retaining wall is designed to support the the southbound Vasco Rd embankment at the southern limit.

Initial grading at Wall 1.

Extension of reinforcing steel up from Wall 1 footing.

Wall 1 footing.

Completion of Soil Nails

By mid November, Teichert Construction completed installation of all the soil nails associated with Walls 4, 6, and 7. Over 900 nails were installed in the hillside to secure the slopes to the recently formed shotcrete walls. Nail lengths varied from 15 ft to 60 ft deep into the hillside. A fractured fin texture will become the final finish when the cast in place facing walls are poured next.

Completed soil nails at Wall 6.

Brushy Creek Banks Complete

At the end of October, Teichert Construction completed backfilling operations around the new Brushy Creek bridge abutments. In conjunction with the final earthwork operations, rock slope protection (RSP) was relocated to shape the banks around the abutments to protect the final slopes from erosion.

Looking upstream along Brushy Creek.

Bedrock Removal at the Retaining Walls

Teichert Construction has been excavating portions of the hillside to construct Soil Nail Walls 4,6, and 7. Various soil strata are encountered, including significant concretions of cemented sandstone. Construction equipment such as dozers and excavators complete the majority of retaining wall excavation. On occasion, hydraulic breakers are required to crack the hard sandstone rock prior to it's actual removal.

A hydraulic breaker attached to a backhoe prepares to hammering into a sandstone concretion at Soil Nail Wall 6/7.

The completed breaking operation.