I-80: Silver Creek to Wanship

On one of the most heavily-traveled highways in Utah, Geneva Rock Products has spent two summers paving roughly 377,521 square yards of concrete in reconstructing a seven-and-a-half-mile stretch of I-80 and replacing a 328-foot bridge.

The I-80 Silver Creek to Wanship project was awarded to Geneva Rock Products by UDOT in April 2014. The $ 35 million job reconstructs the roadway and an existing bridge between U.S. 40 junction and Wanship, and is just one of various construction projects included in the Renovate I-80 campaign.

Geneva Rock crews got to work in July 2014, where crews reconstructed the eastbound lanes. This summer, crews have reconstructed the westbound lanes and the westbound bridge over Silver Creek. Project completion is set for next month.

Project Manager Dexter Tan said the project has come with its fair share of highlights and challenges, including a shortened summer schedule in 2014.

“In winning this job, we committed our crews to completing the entire eastbound section in what was realistically half a summer,” Tan said. “While we didn’t get to start until July, great planning and efficient logistical work, combined with a break in the weather allowed us to accomplish the work on schedule. Not often does the weather permit us to pave through November.”

Crews used newly released 3D paving solutions on the westbound portion of the project. Using the recently released Trimble 3D wireless system in conjunction with the Gomaco paving setup, crews created more access on the side of the paving lanes, created better access for wet haul trucks and eliminated a tripping hazard for finishers and laborers working alongside and behind the paver.

Cody Preston, Area Manager over Concrete Paving, said this project provided some 3D firsts for Geneva Rock, Trimble and Gomaco, who worked together to set up the machine to perform paving techniques none of the companies had done yet wirelessly.

“We were all on site those first few days to get it perfect together,” Preston said. “Trimble and Gomaco had never paved with a Zero Clearance paving setup with this system and we were able to work together to do this successfully on our tight shoulder paving.”

In addition to nearly eight miles of 12-inch concrete paving, the job required the creation of a unique pavement base material called cement treated asphalt base (CTAB), which provides a strong and stable base for the concrete paving to ensure durability and longevity, especially with the heavy weight being transferred along the route regularly by semi-trucks.

CTAB is created by pulverizing existing asphalt and then adding cement powder and water into the material to create a low strength concrete.

Often, in concrete paving, concrete is laid directly over a thin layer of asphalt. In situations where the existing asphalt is deteriorating and not suitable for a base layer, CTAB can be used to provide the needed structural support for the concrete paving.

On this section of I-80, CTAB was selected as a lower cost, environmentally friendly pavement base option. According to Nathan Schellenberg, Vice President of Construction, this is the first instance in Utah where a cement treated base used 100 percent recycled asphalt.

Bridge demolition and reconstruction, cast-in-place concrete barrier, rock blasting and storm drain work were other vital parts of this project.

In total, more than 74,000 Geneva Rock man hours will be spent on the project.

When complete, Utah residents, tourists and the many over-land haulers will have a beautiful, long-lasting freeway that will provide smooth and safe transit from Park City to Wanship on historic I-80.

Geneva Rock Products