Balfour Beatty, as part of CRC Joint Venture, Successfully Places First Beams to Support Bridge Widening on TxDOT’s Oak Hill Parkway Project

Rhea-AI Summary

Balfour Beatty, as part of the Colorado River Constructors joint venture, has achieved a significant milestone in the $674 million Oak Hill Parkway project for the Texas Department of Transportation. On June 16, the team set the first bridge beams, facilitating upcoming widening operations over Old Fredericksburg Road. The project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance mobility along US 290 and SH 71, with completion expected in 2026. Ongoing work includes traffic shifts and the construction of various structures, with nearly 400,000 cubic yards excavated to date.

Positive

• Successful placement of bridge beams advances the $674 million Oak Hill Parkway project.
• Efforts aim to improve traffic congestion and mobility in Austin.
• Completion of major traffic shift paves the way for ongoing construction.
• Project components include pedestrian accommodations and stormwater solutions.

Negative

• None.

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Balfour Beatty, as part of Colorado River Constructors (CRC) joint venture team, achieves a major milestone during the delivery of Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) $674 million Oak Hill Parkway project. On the night of June 16, the project team successfully set the first bridge beams that support widening activities east of US 290 and SH 71 “Y” interchange in Austin, Texas.

Photo courtesy of CRC joint venture team.

To achieve the milestone in one night, crews used trucks to transport 10 bridge beams through the roadway barrier onto the wide shoulder of the US 290 mainlanes where crane operators then lifted and set the beams on bearing pads atop of previously constructed columns and caps. The successful placement of the bridge beams supports upcoming widening operations over Old Fredericksburg Road which include installing permanent metal decking, forming bridge overhangs and setting rebar for future bridge decks and barriers. This same operation will take place in the next few weeks at Monterey Oaks Boulevard.

“The start of bridge widening activities over Old Fredericksburg Road and Monterey Oaks Boulevard signifies significant progress on TxDOT’s Oak Hill Parkway project,” said John Rempe, PE, Balfour Beatty executive vice president and region manager of Civils operations in the Southwest. “I commend our bridge crews for their collaboration in safely performing this operation that serves as a step forward in alleviating traffic congestion and improving long-term mobility along US 290 and SH 71 in Austin.”

Since breaking ground on the project last summer, the CRC joint venture team completed its first major traffic shift west of Circle Drive and is preparing for its second major traffic shift where the first permanent frontage roads will come online at the west end of the Oak Hill Parkway corridor. The crew continues to work on the construction of more than 10 different retaining walls along the project’s corridor which are a mix of soil nail walls, cast-in-place walls and drilled shaft sound walls. The delivery of more than 10 bridge structures is also underway where team members have completed drilled shafts, columns, caps, abutments, and now bridge beams.

Additionally, due to the project’s location, large trenching and milling machines are being used during excavation work. Almost 400,000 cubic yards have been excavated to date, of an estimated 2 million cubic yards, to complete the project.

Once complete, the Oak Hill Parkway project will reconstruct and widen US 290 from the east end of Circle Drive to Loop 1 (MoPac Expressway) and SH 71 from US 290 to Silvermine Drive. The newly designed roadway will consist of constructing two to three mainlanes as well as adding two to three frontage-road lanes in each direction. An overpass for the US 290 main lanes over William Cannon Drive will also be built, along with direct-connect flyovers between US 290 and SH 71.

Additional project components include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations along the entire corridor, cross-street intersection improvements, U-turn lanes, upstream water detention, storm water detention and water quality treatment ponds.

The Oak Hill Parkway project is scheduled for completion in 2026.

About Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty is an industry-leading provider of general contracting, at-risk construction management and design-build services for public and private sector clients across the United States. Performing heavy civil and vertical construction, the company is part of Balfour Beatty plc (LSE: BBY), a leading international infrastructure group that provides innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. Balfour Beatty is ranked among the top domestic building contractors in the United States by Engineering News-Record. To learn more, visit www.balfourbeattyus.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621006124/en/

Ashley Melesse

+1 (214) 451-1706

amelesse@balfourbeattyus.com

Source: Balfour Beatty

FAQ

What is the significance of the milestone achieved by Balfour Beatty in the Oak Hill Parkway project?

The milestone marks the successful placement of bridge beams, a crucial step in the $674 million project aimed at reducing traffic congestion in Austin.

When did Balfour Beatty set the first bridge beams for the Oak Hill Parkway project?

Balfour Beatty set the first bridge beams on June 16.

What are the expected benefits of the Oak Hill Parkway project?

The project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and improve long-term mobility along US 290 and SH 71.

What is the completion date for the Oak Hill Parkway project?

The Oak Hill Parkway project is scheduled for completion in 2026.

How much earth has been excavated for the Oak Hill Parkway project to date?

Almost 400,000 cubic yards have been excavated as part of the project.