North Star Steel and Worthington industries agreed to locate their new steel plants in Fulton County, Ohio, if the Ohio Turnpike Commission (OTC) could design, construct and open an interchange at S.R. 109 to handle the proposed truck traffic by November 1996. OTC agreed and ARCADIS was selected to design the $6.8 million interchange project and provide full-time construction engineering services.An ambitious schedule was agreed to between OTC and ARCADIS at the start of this project. Shortly after the preliminary design was underway, right-of-way and wetland considerations significantly delayed the selection of the interchange site by OTC. OTC also decided during preliminary design to expedite the project to provide additional construction time by revising the proposed start of construction by one month. This resulted in a very ambitious revised schedule for the ARCADIS design team. Authorization to proceed was granted on June 2, 1995, although the interchange location was not approved until August 22. FPS delivered the final plans and specifications to OTC on January 21, 1996. The project was advertised and bids were opened on February 15, 1996. As scheduled, the interchange was open to traffic by the end of the year.
The project work consisted of designing the interchange at Exit 39 and improving S.R. 109 to handle the proposed industrial truck traffic. ARCADIS provided roadway and interchange design, design of the ramp structure and right-of-way plans. Approximately 8,000 linear feet of ramp and 4,000 linear feet of roadway were designed. The ramp bridge is a 2-span, continuous composite steel, welded plate girder bridge with a reinforced concrete deck. The deck is 68 feet wide with spans of 166 feet and 143 feet. FPS prepared plans for maintenance of traffic, construction staging, and permanent signing and pavement marking. The project required that 1-80/1-90 and the local roadway remain open to traff ic at all times. Maintenance of traffic plans included lane closures on 1-80/1-90 and staged construction on the county roads. ARCADIS provided construction monitoring services for the project, with an average of three construction representatives on site.
OTC has congratulated ARCADIS on meeting the record-breaking schedule as well as on the quality of the plans on this project. The design, which included 257 sheets, was completed and construction plans were ready in only five months following the selection of the interchange site. Due to a committed project team, ARCADIS made this monumental undertaking a reality.
