U.S. 35 Public-Private Partnership: WV 869 to North of County Route 40

PROJECT CHALLENGES:
Representing the second Public-Private Partnership project to be undertaken in the state of West Virginia and one of the largest construction contracts ever led by the state, this project represents a new $175 million four-lane section of U.S. Route 35 that will extend 14.6 miles (13.8 miles of actual construction) from WV 869 in Putnam County to north of County Route 40 in Mason County. This 14.6 miles is the last stretch of the 412-mile U.S. Route 35 corridor from Michigan City, Indiana to Scott Depot, WV to be widened to four lanes. TRC is the Lead Designer for the Bizzack Construction Design-Build/P3 team that was selected by the DOH for award of the project.

As part of the project, a total of four (4) bridges, six (6) access roads and over 50 culverts were designed. Bridges included twin US 35 bridges over CR9 (Plantation Road), CR 29 (Little Sixteen Mile Creek), CR 42 (Pond Branch) and relocated CR 40 (UpperNine Mile Creek). The bridges over CR 42 and relocated CR 40were designed by TRC. Each of these bridges are a two-span structure with lengths of 380’ (170’-210’) and 350’ (195’-155’), respectively, and consist of steel plate girders with integral abutments on steel H-piles and two-column and cap piers.Extensive cuts and fill were required to construct the new roadway due to the mountainous terrain through which the alignment travels. Centerline cut depths along the mainline range up to approximately 145 feet in rock, while fill embankment heights are in excess of 200 feet.

PROJECT SOLUTIONS:

• Overall responsibility for the design of the project:
  • Roadway alignment design
  • Drainage design
  • Hydraulic analysis
  • NPDES permitting
  • Bridge structure design
  • Geotechnical design and geotechnical borings
• Re-evaluation of the project’s NEPA study
• QC management and inspection during construction