• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Work on Des Moines interstate uses some new techniques

Work on Des Moines interstate uses some new techniques

March 6, 2006 By admin

Visitors to Des Moines for the various state tournaments this month are seeing not only a new arena for play, but lots of changes in interstate system through the capital city. The Department of Transportation says this is the largest construction project in its history.

Bill Lusher is overseeing the work for the D-O-T and says they’ve used some innovative techniques in the construction — including one used for the retaining walls that line the roadway. He says the soil-nail retaining technique allows them to build the retaining wall from the top down, which he says is less intrusive and allows them to build without disruptive utilities and the soil as much as a normal wall.

Lusher says the specifications for the freeway required them to use the new retaining wall techniques. He says they were asked to be a “minimum intrusive” construction environment, meaning they would build in the existing right of way without taking out many new homes. Lusher says that required them to build more retaining walls.

Lusher says there are lots of other unique designs in the new system. He says one of the things that’s quite evident is the new arch pedestrian bridges that use and arch to hold up the bridges and don’t require a center pier to hold them up. Lusher says the blue arch is “a nice visual aspect to the freeway corridor.” Lusher says the new freeway was a chance to break in some new designers.

Lusher says they gave a lot of the young engineers and technicians in the design officer a chance to work on the project and he says it allowed them to immerse the young staffers in the design process. Lusher says the D-O-T will be a much better organization as a result of the experience the young designers have gained. Lusher says the project is scheduled to be completed by 2007.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Department of Transportation, Transportation

Featured Stories

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

Summit has easements for 20% of carbon pipeline route through Iowa

Morel mushroom hunters on hold without warmer conditions

Trinity Health aquiring all MercyOne health properties

Field of Dreams site developer wants to bid on state baseball, softball tournaments

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

T.J. Otzelberger announces staff changes at Iowa State

Iowa State adds transfer guard

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC