Monday evening, Rick Lewis, Regional James Construction Engineer and I drove through the Construction site. Here are pictures of what I saw and what was told
Standing on 2484 bridge looking north toward Waco. The black road is the new I-35 going south. It is connecting with concrete new I-35 where the red truck and cars are. Iron will be placed on the asphalt this week followed by concrete. This is about 100 yards (size of a football field) from the bridge.
Same picture as above. Notice the white finger that separates the Salado Plaza exit from the main I-35 road. This exit goes under the bridge.
Taken from the east side of 2484 Bridge, notice on the far right, the narrow black road that goes under the 2484 bridge. It is the Salado Plaza exit depicted in the picture above.
Standing on the 2484 Bridge looking south toward Austin. The immediate white concrete is the expansion of the 2484 bridge. This was the part that fell when it was hit. It is close to completion. Notice the wide black asphalt road -- that is the new southbound I-35 road. The narrow road to the white is the Salado Plaza exit. This week, iron will be placed on the asphalt followed by 15 inches of concrete.
Notice the white road next to the Salado Plaza Exit road on the right. That is the new frontage road. It will soon receive asphalt, iron, and concrete.
Still on 2484 Bridge (Holiday Inn Express is on the left). On the right is new I-35 road going south.
The concrete road where the cars/trucks are going north and south is the completed new north bound I-35 road. The center barrier blocks on the concrete that separate north and south traffic will be removed when the new I-35 highway is completed
Holiday Inn is on the immediate left; I am on the east side of the 2484 bridge. In front of you, the black asphalt road awaiting iron and concrete is the new frontage road on the east side.
The building of Salado Plaza Bridge. It is scheduled to be completed 15 March.
Across from the Sonic, do you see the stage coach and horses embedded in the wall plates? Putting it together is like a puzzle except the wall plates are numbered. Stop and see it.
Looking North, notice the length and height of Salado Plaza Bridge. It is higher than any Salado building. The view from the top of the bridge is all encompassing -- simply beautiful. This was taken from CEFCO driveway.
Looking south, from CEFCO property, the Thomas Arnold exit off the Salado Plaza Bridge is finally making significant progress. The drilling has been very difficult due to the depth and the stabilizing of the columns. The total cost of just drilling the holes and placing a foundation in the holes for the columns is over a million dollars for drilling 8 holes.
Standing on the construction site looking south, notice the white strip on the left in front of the water truck. That is the Thomas Arnold exit joining the frontage road. The dirt on the right is the new I-35 highway. It will soon receive asphalt, iron, and cement. In the next 60 days, the I-35 Salado Section will be significantly completed.
The completed frontage bridge across Salado Creek is before you. It was finished on 1 Feb 2016, about 2:23 P.M.
Standing on the sidewalk across Thomas Arnold Bridge and looking South, The dirt is I-35 South. It will soon receive the final grade, Asphalt, iron, and cement.
From Thomas Arnold Bridge looking south, the dirt road is being prepared to meet the main I-35 Bridge across Salado Creek. The road on the South Side of the creek bridge where the white car is traveling is the completed I-35 Highway.
In the next 60 days, there will be significant progress on I-35 Highway. According to Rick Lewis, the Salado Section of I-35 will be completed in June 2016. That is 4-months from now! We are entering the final months of construction. There are over 130 workers on site making sure June is the end.
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The photos don't show everything we see but they are a good representation of the problems we keep experiencing and lack of progress being made and little to no quality control on the work. The MSE wall coping isn't flush or level and looks like they aren't doing quality control on their work. The level up pads are supposed to be flush and create a plane for the coping to sit level not uneven as represented. This should be addressed with TxDOT to avoid years of corrective action work fixing what should've been installed correctly in the first places. I would ask TxDOT for a corrective action list and monitor that work as well otherwise we'll be dealing with this company for years to follow fixing their defective work.
ReplyDeleteTheir housekeeping is horrible. Look in the pictures and notice the wood, trash and debris buildup throughout the work areas where personal has to work. Along with the dirt tracking into the streets and gutter lines. It are these those issues that make our community look like a garbage dump. There is no reason why they should be allowing dirt to off their project into our waterways or making dust clouds. We are fed up with their childish mindset. They need to adopt normal practices and start acting like responsible contractors and treat our community with respect.
It shouldn’t take us complaining for them to follow the contract and produce quality work. This company simply doesn’t get it and it seems their management could care a less about the work by the looks of the photos and what we have to content with daily.
If this were a FAR project, we’d shut them down and force them into compliance of the contract. None of this would be acceptable and it shouldn't be acceptable to anyone else.
We just heard today that Mr. Rick fired Mr. Ira Sweet. Mr. Sweet though he wasn’t the PM he did provide a level of trust and comfort. He wasn’t a liar, he told us the truth when asked unlike what we feel is being conveyed in meetings that we don’t attend. That guy Mr. Rick seems to be telling you what you want to hear knowing you’ll pass that garbage along. Their pay estimate has too much work left to be complete the bridge, deck, railing, and other work within the time frame you are being told. With what is remaining and the times that it takes to cure the concrete and other items of work, the bridge is still quite ways out. Even their own PM and Dirt super speak amongst the community and they themselves say it is physically impossible to open the bridge and move traffic as represented. Also what it isn’t being represented is all the latent defects and non-conforming work that exists throughout above grade and below grade in the drainage systems.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor works for Texas Sterling and it rumored James Construction Group might have become so hard-up and desperate they’ve hired even worse than what we contend with now.
http://www.postjobfree.com/resume/zjnyke/general-motors-project-superintendent-grading-golf
http://articles.philly.com/2002-12-13/news/25359517_1_thefts-materials-indictment
ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/cmd/cserve/distinfo/cisrpts/001507065.pdf
How much of the damage to Salado Creek is as a result of James Construction Group tracking mud and dirt off their project into the roadways or that flows during rain events?
ReplyDeleteQuestion is why isn't TxDOT holding the contractor accountable and making them pay to clean our waterways and restoring them back to their natural beauty and their native state before work began? We know we had gravel bars but there has to be shared liability for the mess James Construction Group creates.
By the looks of their latest estimate the work isn’t progressing like we’ve been lead to believe they were to be following. It seems they’ve slowed down on the work here and they’ve picked up their pace on other projects if their revenues posted on TxDOT website are accurate for the period.
“In the next 60 days, there will be significant progress on I-35 Highway. According to Rick Lewis, the Salado Section of I-35 will be completed in June 2016. That is 4-months from now! We are entering the final months of construction. There are over 130 workers on site making sure June is the end”
ReplyDeleteWishful thinking. For this to occur James Construction Group and Mr. Rick Lewis will need to waive a magic wand or the ferry god mother creates a miracle. Not only is that date physically impossible to do, it is unreasonable to for him to convey such. This guy needs to take his head out the sand trap and at least try being honest with everyone including himself. Not everyone is gullible nor is everyone else stupid like he is conveying by representing such publically. They don’t possess the required skillset let alone the management teams to construct the remaining work timely or as represented.
If Rick Lewis had any brains or sense of one own dignity he would at least attempt honesty and provide you with the truth. We already know PSC’s new management team aren’t qualified to accurately project the work or even know what is required so I would ask TxDOT for their CPM schedule and be sure to request that CPM schedule includes all the latent defects being fixed as the work progresses. In addition ask for their comprehensive list of remaining items from Site Manager including the weekly meeting agenda of open items and non-conforming work.
This project won’t be done anytime soon. TxDOT knows they have a serious problem on their hands not just here but the 35 corridor. Their monthly estimates minus their material-on-hand payments and minus the mobilization payments on all the projects is a good indicator that TxDOT realizes they have a serious and much larger problem on their hands than our little headache. Absent of a detailed CPM timeline that works, the garbage you're being told and passing along to us is pure garbage. Some are able to recognize their progress and what isn't occurring. They can't even do the simplest task without screwing that up so whatever possesses Rick Lewis to think we are all stupid is a good indicator we should expect more of the same from this group.
The recent traffic wrecks seems to have a common theme, something with the below grade drainage system, PGL or cross slopes, and/or the drainage swales don’t seem to be handling the surface water flows. In either case it would behoove our City leaders to bring this to the attention of TxDOT and ask them inspect the below grade drainage and drainage swales to verify the systems installed are installed correctly and those aren't the reason the Interstate isn’t handling the water flows. If they are then the staged work might need to be evaluated for drainage or TCP temporary drainages.
ReplyDeleteWe want the traveling the public to feel safe when coming to visit regardless of the weather. Prior to the traffic patterns changing and mud, I don’t recall ever having as many wrecks on the Interstate like we have experiencing.
Additionally with the rains the mud flows and silt flowing that flow off the project or enter our roadways will only continue to damage Salado Creek and harm the wild life. I expect TxDOT to enforce the terms and conditions of the contract and make sure no silt or mud leaves the work area or enters into the paved streets or leaves their project. There isn't one single reason that anyone can use why we should have to ask for their contractor to show us all common decency respecting our community. We want our waterways and Salado Creek restored to conditions prior to contract being started.
I am dismayed to read that the young gentleman Mr. Ira Sweet was removed from the project. Mr. Sweet openly and honestly communicated with many were we didn't feel like we were being lied to again. I would verify much of what the other speak of directly with TxDOT and ask for updated copies of their monthly CPM schedule and weekly meeting minutes that should contain a comprehensive list of corrective action items and open items to determine if their CPM accurately reflects the completion dates being told.
The pictures alone show anyone with common sense that James Construction Group’s managers are either slow, dumb, & lazy and/or they really are that dumb and don’t have a clue how to plan projects accordingly and keep the project clean and safe. The amount of remedial work and corrective actions many suspect will down in the history books. Most thought-out the industry hears the echoes of their horrible safety record and the amount of money spent on equipment damages so it wouldn’t surprise many if they don’t complete work as represented to our City leaders.
ReplyDeleteWe all need to keep in mind that TxDOT has a duty to protect our waterways and make sure James Construction Group stays in compliance of the NDPES permit and Clean Water Act. At no time shall James Construction Group be allowed to track mud off their project into our waterways or discharge water in the drainage systems that exceed the 404 permit turbidity allowances. TxDOT has the right to make sure their debris and mud staying within their project limits and shuts them down when they don’t stay in compliance. We hope TxDOT hasn’t given up and does what is right for our Village. With the mess they are making now, it’s evident someone isn’t monitoring their work or TxDOT has become so overwhelmed dealing with James Construction Group’s stupid people, it is like they’ve thrown in the towel.
In either case, we don’t need to spend more of our money to remove mud and gravel bars from Salado Creek until such a time James Construction completes the work and TxDOT is done with their punch list fixing or removing non-conforming work or restoring the areas back to their original conditions as contracted.
We do expect our elected officials to let it be known that the pictures shown here shows many that we expect better oversight and make James Construction Group keep the work areas in compliance of the contract at all times. These pictures show the world just how terrible we have it with this company. it is shameful that we have to lower our standards of safety and environmental beauty to their standards of acceptance.
The Main street bridge status doesn't appear to be on schedule to meet the deadline we've all been provided. After the girder placement there is still another 50-days of work remaining providing the pipe and dirt crews don't create a bigger mess other than what’ they’ve been doing to our community and continue to make.
ReplyDeleteIf I were in your shoes, I would demand that Mr. David King and Mr. Rudy Poselli with his team attend the weekly meetings and explain why this group they have in charge can't accomplish the simplest of milestones as represented.
There isn't one excuse that TxDOT or anyone with basic common sense can use except that James Construction Group isn't capable of following through with the simplest of tasks. Mr. Rick Lewis and subordinates should either resign or they should be fired for not completing the milestones represented.
It is rumored through AGC the structures crews are being courted by some most well-respected companies throughout the region and they might be leaving soon. I would hope the bridge work is completed should this occur. If the present structures team doesn’t complete the work then I would hate to see who they bring in and put in charge knowing the industry suffers competent managers and the personal James Construction Group has hired here recently, we would severely impacted should this occur we’d suffer more than we have already.
Many commenters seem to have knowledge of the Heavy Engineering and Highway industry. This is good to see that our community have people that care with a watchful eye looking out for our best interest and public safety.
ReplyDeleteAs we can see on a daily basis the progress appears to have progressed along but a pace that clearly indicates this company’s management team isn’t being held accountable to anyone. The visual appearance of the project looks like a war zone. The work being completed seems like they have no real plan in place to complete the work in a continuous sequence or how to accomplish the overall process. As we drive around it’s not uncommon to see many of their people wander around aimlessly like they are dazed and confused or unsure what steps to follow or how to accomplish the work without making more of a mess. We see more remedial corrective action work being done and lots of wishy-washy schedules being told to us that leads many of to believe, TxDOT and their consultants must be extremely frustrated. We the taxpayers should be angry and let our voices be heard through our elected officials.
Having retired from the largest construction company in the world, a key factor to creating successful projects will always take into account pre-activity meetings with all involved, constant employee training, zero tolerance on safety, zero tolerance on housekeeping, team building, and planning the work well in advance and working the plan. I can say by the visual appearance of the jobsites along the corridor TxDOT and their consultants have shown great restraint. Watching the work progress over the course of this past year, it is clearly evident projects lack competent management teams, disciplined project engineers, and much of what the industry calls standard operating procedures.
It is sad to hear about Mr. Ira Sweet being removed but it is understood why knowing he didn’t fit their dysfunctional mold. It is rumored he went to work with Obrascón Huarte Lain, S.A, we wish him well. We did lose one of most valuable assets that we could rely on to get the truth when questions were asked about the project status @ Jonny’s and why the phasing on the project wasn’t being followed. We wish Mr. Sweet all the best.
Obviously the chain of command communication being used isn't working or someone isn't telling this group what is expected of them to follow. It might prove to be beneficial escalating the lack of overall progress up the ladder along with their terrible housekeeping that this company lacks to understand makes our community look bad.
ReplyDeleteIt is rumored that a Mr. David King is the ultimate responsible party for the work James Construction Group is performing and it is Mr. King that sets the overall tone for James Construction Group management team and what is expected of them to follow. We would like you to ask Mr. David King to make trip down to here Salado and see firsthand the mess on our roadway, muddy waterways, and construction debris messes scattered throughout. Ask him if this was in in his community would he appreciate the messes and conditions left there for him and his family to deal with? If what he witnesses is acceptable and he is proud to have his name associated this disastrous looking project then we fully understand why they are allowed to continue to operate in the fashion they do.
With the rain in the forecast for next week, we don't want our streets muddy again. We expect this to corrected so our waterways remain clear and pristine during rain events.
Mr. David Kings email that AGC friends provided to me dking@prim.com
Thank god Doug isn’t Mr. David King. We could not imagine Williams Brothers with all their contracts employ the same level of incompetent management teams PSC has retained to manage James Construction Group. We are witnessing firsthand a group of executives and managers take simple hard bid build projects and make a complete mess of them. What we in the industry call this group Manny, Moe, and Jack trying to build and manage something out of their league.
ReplyDeleteIt would behoove Mr. David King take control of his mess and speak with TxDOT but what is echoed throughout the Heavy Highway industry is Mr. King is one of the fat cats sucking off the Wall Street without any accountability. By what we are witnessing, Mr. David King must not possess the required skillset or experience the Heavy Highway Construction industry mandates their executives possess. Until such a time that Mr. David King becomes knowledgeable or retains qualified executives, we shouldn’t expect anything different to occur. In the meantime, we’ll sit back and watch screw up after screw up be done and let our voices be heard, we aren’t happy.
We aren’t going to let them disrespect or desecrate our community anymore. We are done enabling. We expect our roadways and waterways to remain clean all the time while they are working rain or shine. We expect TxDOT and their consultants to enforce the terms and conditions of the contract including but not limited to the quality of the work. What James Construction Group fail to realize is we the taxpayers have paid for this work to be completed in strict accordance of the contract. We will demand that our elected officials make sure that any and all latent defects be corrected and replaced before TxDOT issues substantial completion. If what is rumored to be true the latent defects below grade with storm drainage and PCC paving might add as much a few months to the overall substantial time, this isn’t acceptable and needs to be addressed with TXDOT and their CPM schedule. Mr. David King should show us the same respect and he should staff the project with ample resources accordingly to make sure they are completed as represented. James Construction Group should be working many fronts and Mr. David King should stop enabling his 3 stooges excuses.
An old age rings true. When ignorance meets arrogance, failure is inevitable. Just drive around, we see what occurs daily.
ReplyDeleteIf Mr. David King was involved and took control of his duties, none of this would be allowed to occur. Doubtful he is involved nor does it appear he is taking anything seriously since this group is being enabled and they are allowed to use the past as their justification for their present failures. It isn’t a big secret amongst the community that their safety issues and millions spent in equipment damages only further delays the progress even more. None of which the past has contributed to the present. We are sick of hearing the past is why they can’t do much of anything right and why they can't progress the work along and complete the areas before they leave and go elsewhere. Especially when we witness firsthand the messes they make and then we sit back and have to watch them install work only to turn around and take it out to do it over again. This says to anyone with common sense, the present team has no clue what they are doing. The present is solely responsible for their awful housekeeping, filthy jobsite, muddy streets, and what appears too many as gross incompetence at all levels.
Some of us in the community understood why Mr. Sweet was let go, he didn’t fit their mold and he was truthful. When TXDOT uploads their monthly estimates that’ll be a good indicator what we can expect to follow as it relates to completing the project. This won’t include the punch list and corrective actions that have yet to be removed or fixed. It wouldn't surprise anyone of us that these items of work aren't accounted for in their monthly updated CPM schedule or when this work will occur. If what is rumored to be true, their punch list could be quite lengthy and cumbersome. This work will disrupt traffic flows again but for how long, we don't know. We might prepare ourselves for a lengthy stay before this project is completed.
Mr. Sherman Coots,
ReplyDeleteWe understand from many throughout Village that you have a full plate babysitting James Construction Group managers that are managing the work here in Salado but there has to come a point in time when the contract prevails.
On the monthly estimate below their contract has a pay item for litter removal, mowing, and construction exits so there shouldn’t be any excuse or reason whatsoever their jobsite mud, jobsite trash, weeds, and jobsite muddy water should ever become the property of our Village or be allowed to drain into our watershed or creek.
Many of us in the community very much appreciate your continued support and oversight enforcing the terms of the contract and prevent James Construction Group from tracking their mud and their soupy muddy waters into our roadways and watershed. We are fully aware that you can't direct their work but you can enforce the terms of the contract and make them comply and clean up their messes.
The best we can tell by looking at the monthly estimate work isn’t proceeding as we understood they’d be doing. Please keep in mind even though we want them gone, we also will demand that the nature, character, and quality of work be the same superior quality TxDOT mandates on all projects. Our state roadways are beautiful and we expect this company to produce the same quality of work as everyone else. We want our Village to remain beautiful for generations to admire and be proud to call their own.
ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/cmd/cserve/distinfo/cisrpts/001507065.pdf
There are many of us that thank you for your continued support and oversight. We know you have a long and hard difficult road ahead of you.
Reading their estimates it sure appears to layperson the work continues to slide and go backwards. Their mindset must be Louisianans contracting way of doing business because had this been one of FHWA or Core projects when I was working, most anyone else made sure their bonding company was put on notice and let them help guide the executives into submission or else. It is going to a long and tiring road ahead with these kids hanging around making a bigger mess than already.
ReplyDeleteIt might be helpful to get with TxDOT and ask them to help guide us through actual process. I understand from AGC friends TxDOT is aware issues relating damaged concrete on the feeder roads, thickness and thinness issues on PCC paving, expansion joints, storm drainage issues and Thomas Arnold Intersections but has it been discussed how their punch list or future corrective action items might further impact our traffic flows if any?
No from what we hear it is a management problem. Their own field crafts speak openly about a few of their supervisors that are the dumbest of the dumb and lazy that don’t anything to help except complain or drive around acting important.
DeleteWe witnessed their hierarchy dictatorship control mindset at the town hall meetings when they blamed everyone else but themselves. At that point in time we were cognizant that when their own executives and mangers make excuses and still unable to execute their plans, they have no accountably and enabled to blame subordinates and others for their own failures.
We are actually quite surprised that General McDougal and General Weber didn’t call them on the carpet yet knowing ownership stops with them not anyone else.
We can’t be blaming TxDOT for what their contractor is doing. It is commonly known throughout that TxDOT has their hands full dealing with a group of people that have no clue what bid build work of this magnitude is about or how to plan the work as contracted. Watching this company make a mess of our Village is like a cartoon show or a new reality TV show on what not to do on bid build work. We see many of their competitors drive through and they themselves stop for lunch and are amazed just how stupid contractors can actually be but also insight on who not to employ should they come ask for a job. They’ve witnessed firsthand what a mess they make and are amazed what they see.
ReplyDeleteThis contractor must think everyone else is stupid but themselves. We aren't. By the looks of the mess these bozo’s make, it’s doubtful their managers have a clue what is required by contract or even if they have a usable CPM schedule that everyone involved can actually rely on to plan the work. There is so much of the work that is left uncompleted and nothing in reality that has been finished so it is doubtful they have one from the looks of the mess. They can’t even perform basic housekeeping without screwing that up so it is doubtful anything we’ll ever be told the truth. On the other hand if Mr. Sweet was telling us, we’d believe him since he never lied to us.
Listen to their own employees at speak amongst themselves at lunch. Not a single one trusts or believes the garbage we’ve been told. And by the looks of their monthly estimate, we want the truth not what we can visually see isn’t matching what we’ve been told.
James Construction Group might get more done if what is rumored is true that their new VP sleeps in the area manager’s truck after lunch and he isn’t paying attention to the work or what seems to the real problem. If their VP opened his eyes in lieu of sleeping and only if he does have a brain, he should be able to instantly recognize after listening to the area manager and the other managers speak, they don’t have a clue and they themselves are lost.
ReplyDeleteAll we do is look at their monthly estimates and the amount of redo work they do and we can see for ourselves this group is lost. Take that with all the uncompleted work left and the messes these guys create, they in in over their heads and lost at what to do next. What we find strange is the arrogance of anyone assigning blame to anyone but themselves further proves some people are so ignorant and refuse to accept their own failures.
We can't wait for the job to be done so we can get our business community strong again. Let Temple enjoy the headaches and deal with these people, we are sick of them and fed up with the messes they make.
Watching these guys work and the messes they continue leave behind in their footprints, it is very clear to many of us that understand their industry that they prefer the absurdity of reactive scheduling. It might prove be very beneficial to explain to this group the benefits of proactive scheduling far outweighs reactive scheduling or planning. Anyone with common sense knows that the approved baseline schedule and each consecutive monthly update thereafter is the utmost important contract document on any contract. And by the looks of the disastrous looking messes they leave laying around on the project, it is very apparent that this management team overseeing the project shouldn’t be overseeing anything but the end of a shovel on their best day. Anyone else would be utterly ashamed of what we witness but it seems like they relish in barnyard planning and junkyard looks. I wouldn’t believe anything that is being conveyed by anyone except TxDOT until such a time that they accomplish the simplest of pre-task planning, housekeeping and some sort of effective planning.
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