Project Cited for Collaboration, Quality, and Community Input
For more information:
Monica Worth 540.987.9678
Lisa Vander Heiden 218.370.9408
Austin, TX/November 13, 2007 – The National Partnership for Highway Quality (NPHQ) announced today that South Carolina has been named a 2007 State Winner in its National Achievement Award program in recognition of the construction of North America’s longest cable stay span, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina. Project partners include the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT); the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); contractor Palmetto Bridge Constructors, a joint venture of Tidewater Skanska, Inc., and Flatiron Constructors, Inc.; and designer Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas.
The announcement was made in San Diego, California, by NPHQ, a partnership among federal, state, and roadway industry leaders and officials that promotes highway quality, safety, and service to the highway user.
Replacing two functionally obsolete bridges over the Cooper River in Charleston was no small feat.
The Grace Memorial Bridge had carried traffic weighing less than 5 tons for 76 years via two 10-foot traffic lanes with no shoulders, which meant that all Charleston-bound commercial trucks, recreational vehicles, and buses were diverted to the Pearman Bridge.
The Pearman structure was significantly newer – it was built in 1968 – and had three 12-foot lanes, but it had no shoulders or median separating northbound and southbound traffic. Plus, neither bridge had the clearance necessary to accommodate large shipping vessels.
SCDOT worked with the public and the world’s leading bridge and lighting engineers to address these issues via the signature design for the $640 million, eight-lane Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, where cables attached to pylons support the bridge deck. As a direct result of community input, ramps to Morrison Drive in Charleston and Wingo Way in Mount Pleasant were added to the design, as were a pedestrian/bicycle component and numerous aesthetic enhancements.
“Teamwork, collaboration, and a commitment to quality led to the construction of a signature structure that was completed one year ahead of the contract completion date,” NPHQ Executive Director Bob Templeton stated. “This accomplishment is remarkable.”
The NPHQ National Achievement Awards recognize overall project quality; the partnership between state departments of transportation and private contractors; technical and materials innovations; the effectiveness and creativity of public involvement; the teams’ effectiveness in meeting or exceeding expected deadlines, costs, and deliverables; responsiveness to environmental needs and opportunities; and adherence to other principles of quality management.
NPHQ is the only nationally-formed organization dedicated to achieving total commitment to highway quality and customer satisfaction in every state. Its partners include the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET), the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA), Delcan Corporation, Granite Construction Company, Kiewit Corporation, RedVector, URS Corporation, and Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc. More information is available at www.nphq.org.
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