A tour and conversation with Rick Lewis, James Construction

Friends,

Rick Lewis is the Regional Coordinator for James Construction.  At least two Mondays a month, we go for a tour on and off the construction site and discuss the Salado Section of I-35.  The tour is between 1 and 1.5 hours.  To get a better understanding of the the construction site, the following pictures are provided along with dialogue in the form of questions and answers. Rick is R and Skip is S.

Picture taken from the parking lot of the Church of Christ is the drilling of the last 4 holes for the Thomas Arnold ramp exit.  (see part of the south ramp on the left)

R:  We had to bring in a larger crane (yellow) to drill the holes.  You can see the tubes and wire ready to go into the holes once they are drilled.  Because of hole depths and the caverns beneath, it is a slow process.  You will see it better when we go on the West side of I-35.  Let's go to 2484 Bridge.

S.  Is your crew back from the Holidays?

R.  About 96-97% are back.  The rest will be returning this week.

S.  How far are you behind schedule?

R.  We are on schedule even with the Holidays and rain.  I am little concerned about completing the Salado Creek frontage road bridge by 1 February, but we are trying.  It may be 15 February.  You will see it on this tour.

S.  Let's start the tour with 2484 Bridge. 

R:  Here we are.  You can see the decking plates on the west side of the bridge.  We will soon pour concrete over the decking,

S.  You said that before Christmas.  As was discussed in one of the Tuesday meetings, 2484 was hit, again.  Is that true?  And, is that the reason concrete has not been applied?

R.  Yes, it is true.  One of our drivers was going under the bridge with the bed of the dump truck up.  It broke off a small piece of the bridge.  TXDoT had to approve the repairs.  Approval has been given.  In the next day or two super, super strong concrete mix will arrive and we will make the repairs.  Once dried, which takes about 4 days, we will be able to pour the concrete over the panels.

S.  Was there structural damage to the bridge?

R.  No, if there was, the beams and deck plates would be down.  

S.  May I see the damage.

R.  Sure.  Let's get out, walk on the deck plates, and see it.

R:  As you can see, dump truck bed broke off a small piece of the ledge.  It can be easily repaired.  There is absolutely no damage to the structure.  If there was structural damage, TXDoT would not have approved the repairs.

R:  While we are up here, look south and see the crane breaking rock in the gray area?  That is an extremely hard rock which we are chipping away slowly but surely.  For the 2484 bridge to be the proper the height for traffic, cars and trucks, this rock has to be chipped down.  We are almost there.

S:  Are we looking at the permanent new south bound I-35?  

R:  Yes, we will drive down in a minute and ride on it.  You see the present I-35 road being used by a white truck to the left.  That will become the permanent north bound I-35. Do you see the tractor on the right doing dirt work?  The road to the right, just behind the tractor, is the Salado Plaza exit that will join the frontage road just before the new Salado Plaza bridge.

S:  It appears the exit road is coming underneath the 2484 bridge.

R:  Yes, it is.  Let's ride down and see it.

S:  We are actually on the permanent South bound I-35, looking north toward the 2484 bridge,

R:  Notice that the distance on the left side of the bridge is much larger than the right side (about where the white pickup truck on the bridge is)  That is because the south bound Salado Plaza exit will be taken  before getting to the 2484 bridge and will go under the bridge.

S.  So where the tractor chipping rock is, that is the permanent south bound I-35?  What is the slope to the left.

R.  It is an embankment where grass will be planted.  The road where the slope begins is the exit road.

S.  This exit ends about where Robertson's is?

R.  Yes, turn around and look behind you.  It is the final grading of I-35.  As soon as the tractor completes chipping the rock and the proper height reached, we will put down  cement-treated base,  1-inch of asphalt, re-enforcement iron bars, and 15 inches of concrete.The concrete road on the left where the barriers are is 15inches.

S:  This is the final grading of I-35 and that is the new Salado Plaza Bridge before us?

R.  Yes, and you can see Sonic and CEFCO signs to the right.  Just waiting for the rock chipper to complete its rock and we finish the final grading underneath the bridge.  Then comes the final steps of completing this section of I-35.

S:  And, now we are on the actual exit that goes under 2484? 

R. Yes.  

S.  Let's go to the Salado Plaza Bridge.

S:  That crane is way up there.  Is that the height of the Salado Plaza Bridge?

R.  See the mounds of dirt behind the crane.  When it is spread out, that will be the actual height of the bridge.  It is tall.  Here are the header columns that will hold the actual bridge.

R:  Soon you will be seeing bent caps next week going on the header columns followed by beams.

S.  Can you show me what a bent cap looks like? 

R.  Yes.  Let's go down to the exit ramp that ends before the Thomas Arnold bridge and you can see a similar one.

S.  When will the Salado Plaza Bridge be completed?

R.  15 March 2016.

R.  This is called a bent cap that will hold the beams.  As you can see this is the one that will hold the beams of the Thomas Arnold exit ramp.  See the steel tubes that we saw from the other side at the beginning of the tour.  Because of the caverns underneath, these tubes are essential for stability. It is a slow process but it is going forward as planned and on schedule. 

R.  Notice the paneled-wall from Salado Plaza Bridge to the Thomas Arnold exit ramp being built. Dirt will be filled in behind it.  

S.  Where is the large "stage coach" on the wall going to be placed.  

R.  On the wall of the Salado Plaza Bridge.  

S.  Let's go to the frontage road across bridge across the Salado Creek.  You said it has been a challenge.

R.  With the rains and the large amount of gravel in this area, it was extremely difficult to get the columns in place.  No matter what we tried, the water would not go away and would continually come up through the gravel.  Finally, we found a way.  It took lots of money and time but we did it.  A large crane is coming to place the beams this week.

S.  So this is the frontage road bridge going south and crossing Salado Creek?

R.  Yes, this is it.  It was much more difficult than planned.  The crane will place the beams across the columns this week if the weather holds.

S.  Are we now standing on the Permanent I-35 bridge across Salado Creek?  It is finished?

R.  We still have to put the railing on it but the actual construction is completed.  Look back toward Thomas Arnold and you will see the final grading of the permanent I-35 going south.

S.  Like the final grading around 2484, you will soon put down the concrete-treated base, the 1-inch of asphalt, reinforcement metal, and pour 15 inches of concrete.  In the far distance, I see the Thomas Arnold exit ramp.

R.  That is right.  And, we will connect it with the permanent I-35 bridge we are now standing on.  See where it connects.

S:  I see where it connects.  It will not be long.

R;  It will not long.  All of this will be done before May.

S.  Are you sure, Rick?  You know Salado does not believe you will make it by May.

R.  We are on schedule.  

S.  Down the road, I see you are putting asphalt on the frontage road.

R:  This is the frontage road in front of Robertson Ranch.  The final grading is completed and the concrete-treated base is down.  Now we are putting down 1-inch of asphalt and 9-inches of concrete, the amount the State prescribes for frontage roads.

S.  Why are the men wearing green vests and not your yellow vests?

R.  They are sub-contractors doing the work.  

And, the tour ended.

Reader:  "Do you believe this?"

Skip:  They are working; they are making progress; and there is much movement.  If they were not sincere, they would not take time on Mondays and Tuesdays for a tour and a meeting. The lighted signs during the Salado Holidays were very helpful.  Those signs will remain in place directing people to downtown.  James Construction and TXDoT made that happen.  

Reader:  Do you believe what they say?

Skip:  Yes, with very watchful, alert eyes and ears.  Mike McDougal and I are at the meetings.  Mike also checks on progress during the day.  We are in constant communication.  For two years, we have struggled with this construction and fought with the political and legal powers we have.  It has been done without destroying our relationship with James Construction and TXDoT which would have made things much worst.  Pictures of the progress are taken for the record.  You have just seen the latest. 

We are not giving up and we will continue to ask hard questions and take necessary action when appropriate. 

VR/Skip