Dix Irvington Road Safety and Drainage Improvements

Jefferson County Highway Department

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Dix Irvington Road project was to complete Phase I, II, and III engineering, survey, and environmental tasks within the designated timeframe to align with the letting schedule of the HSIP-funded project. This entailed enhancing roadway infrastructure through resurfacing, widening, and drainage improvements while ensuring regulatory compliance and minimizing environmental impact.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR) successfully completed the Phase I, II, and III engineering, surveying, and environmental tasks for the Dix Irvington Road project situated in unincorporated Jefferson County.

The project encompasses several critical elements, including the milling and resurfacing of 7 miles of roadway, widening of aggregate to asphalt pavement shoulders, enhancements to drainage structures, and regrading of roadside ditches to accommodate shoulder improvements. It entailed a comprehensive scope, encompassing topographic surveys utilizing 3D scanning technology, crash analysis, geometric design, special waste analysis, drainage design, coordination with IDOT District 9, and the preparation of a Project Development Report (BLR 22211). Notably, this project was managed at the CE State Approval level and was meticulously designed to avoid the necessity of right-of-way acquisition.

The Categorical Exclusion State Approved Project Development Report received approval from IDOT District 9 in March 2022, following which a Design Variance was successfully submitted and approved.

HLR diligently undertook the Environmental Survey Request (ESR) and subsequent coordination tasks, including online submission, creation of aerial plan views delineating ESR limits, preparation of various maps, assessment of wetlands impact, and evaluation of bat habitats within bridges and culverts.

During the course of the project, a Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment (PESA) unearthed evidence of a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) on-site, necessitating a Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) conducted in December 2021. Fortunately, the PSI revealed no impacted soil, and no safety cautions were warranted for construction workers.

Furthermore, HLR executed wetland delineation services and prepared the corresponding report. Additionally, a thorough review of farmed wetlands adjacent to Dix Irvington Road was undertaken, alongside obtaining jurisdictional determinations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District for identified wetlands and Waters of the US. Subsequently, an Army Corps Nationwide Permit was secured for the project, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

HLR also played a pivotal role in Phase III engineering, encompassing construction inspection, documentation, layout, and material testing for the 7-mile road widening and asphalt resurfacing. This involved conducting tests for concrete air entrainment, slump, and cylinder strengths, as well as nuclear density tests for asphalt and approved soil installation, in accordance with Illinois Modified AASHTO standards.

Moreover, the project involved the replacement of 160 lineal feet of reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) culverts, resetting an 84-inch diameter RCP, shaping and grading 940 lineal feet of ditches, installation of steel plate beam guardrails, shoulder/centerline rumble strips, thermoplastic pavement markings, signage, and riprap.

HLR, acting as the authorized representative of the engineer, diligently inspected all materials incorporated into the work, adhering strictly to IDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction.