US-89 a Landmark Project

As UDOT's first -ever 'Progressive Design-Build', the complex $526 million reconstruction transformed US-89 into a modern highway while mitigating public concerns.
By Brad Fullmer

Hailed as the first-ever 'Progressive Design-Build' project for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), the reconstruction of US-89 project in Davis County was celebrated at a ribbon cutting June 30, marking UDOT's largest completed project since I-15 CORE in Utah County in 2012.

Beyond the usual physical challenges associated with a project of this size and scope ($526 million; $384 million construction cost), this one caused significant initial heartburn among the communities impacted by the proposed right-of-way and those living adjacent to the highway, with concern over how grade separations at interchanges would compromise views. UDOT listened and made significant adjustments to satisfy public demand.

"This project was for the customers, the public who lives along this corridor and those who travel through it," said Rob Wight, Region One Director. "There was some difficulty early on. UDOT gets accused a lot of times for not listening, but we do listen, and we made changes to the project that made it a better project overall. That is an asset that is going to be here for a long time."

Improving public safety is always UDOT's number one goal—Zero Fatalities is forever the mantra—and the structural improvements made to US-89 spanning Main Street in Farmington to SR-193 in Layton is a major victory for all parties involved in furthering that goal.

Progressive Design-Build is considered an innovative approach that combines the strengths of the design-build and CMAR project delivery methods. Its "progressive" distinction lies in its emphasis on collaboration and teamwork, uniting project owners, the design-build team, and all stakeholders. Unlike traditional design-build projects, which often limit collaboration, Progressive Design-Build (PDB) orchestrates an environment where all parties work together, steering the project's course by jointly managing risks and capitalizing on opportunities across its lifecycle.

Having that collaborative cohesiveness allowed the project to wrap up in just over three years, a highly ambitious schedule that impacted a significant number of residents due to right-of-way demands.

"We looked at all of the different challenges and risks associated with the project, and we thought using the progressive design-build model limited the Department's exposure [...] and gave us the ability to work through challenges in a collaborative manner," said Mike Romero, Project Director for UDOT. "It gives us more open dialogue between the contractor and owner to figure out what the critical issues are and how we can appropriately address them. You can have open, honest dialogue right from the start."

"Typically, design-build projects are those that have the highest risks, and the most opportunities for innovation—not just with the owner, but the community," said Randy Jefferies, UDOT Program Director. "It's a great way to collaborate closely in an atmosphere of trust."

Wight said design was at the 30% phase—around the same time the contractor got involved—when changes were implemented.

"We were able to quickly revise that design [...] and make it more to what the community wanted," he said. "Progressive design-build gave us more flexibility in working with communities. We bring the contractor on in the design phase [...] and we can work through issues and risks before issuing a full contract. We took citizen input, the contractor put a price to it, and it was manifest in lowering the grade of the road. It didn't delay the project at all."

Before and after photos illustrate the dramatic transformation of this major transportation corridor through Davis County—from cumbersome signalized intersections to free-flowing single-point urban interchanges (SPUI). (photos courtesy UDOT)

Challenging Scope of Work

This project was a Herculean feat with myriad impressive upgrades and challenges overcome to even be able to construct this modern highway system, including:

• The removal of more than one million CY of dirt, much of which was fortuitously utilized on the nearby West Davis Corridor project.

• Navigating around and relocating a maze of complicated utility infrastructure, including coordinating with Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and the Bureau of Reclamation on the protection of a 78-in. aqueduct, along with an 8-in. Holly Oil line that carries 100,000 barrels daily, each of which ran the length of the project and had to be designed around.

• Converting six signalized intersections into grade-separated interchanges, including four new interchanges with on- and off-ramps at 400 North in Fruit Heights and at Oak Hills Drive, Gordon Avenue, and Antelope Drive in Layton.

• Widening the highway to three lanes in both directions.

• The removal and replacement of nine miles of asphalt pavement in each direction.

• The creation of a new frontage road system parallel to the highway, improving access to local
neighborhoods and making safer cycling routes.

• Construction of eight new bridges; six crossing the highway at the four interchanges and
at Nicholls Road in Fruit Heights and Crestwood Road in Kaysville, a bridge over the Weber River, and a utility bridge carrying irrigation pipe for Holmes Creek. Bridges ranged in size from 146 ft. to 161 ft. over the highway, with the Weber River bridge the longest at 188 ft.

• The installation of large noise walls 12 ft. to 22 ft. tall and tied into a well-fortified system of soil nail walls.

• Addition of a new right-turn lane from eastbound I-84 to southbound US-89 that allows
drivers to continue through the intersection without stopping, and the extension of the on-ramp entrance for drivers traveling on northbound US-89 to eastbound I-84.

• Gordon Avenue was extended to create a new east-west connection from I-15 to US-89 and
accommodate Layton City's plans for a future town center.

• Installation of three new pedestrian tunnels to enable future city and county trail expansions,
along with a new multi-use trail to connect the South Weber frontage road to Valley View
Drive.

• Other major elements included pedestrian structure bridges, traffic signals, lighting, ATMS, MOT, and storm drainage.

Built by Oak Hills Constructors—a 60/40 joint venture of Granite Construction of North Salt Lake and Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction of Draper—and designed by Horrocks Engineers of Pleasant Grove (Prime) and Michael Baker International of Midvale, much of the success of US-89 was a design that called for the highway to run under the six bridges (grade separations), which actually shaved time off the schedule and reduced project cost.

"It was the right decision," said Brian Atkinson, Principal and Design Manager for Pleasant Grove-based Horrocks Engineers. "I love how it fits the terrain. Overall, it was just a better solution. I don't think we would have gotten there if it wasn't in this collaborative environment."

Excavating down to 28 ft. deep in some sections like the Nicholls Road and Crestwood Road bridges was a sizeable task, said Romero. "One of the biggest concerns residents had was how [grade separations] would impact the community. We evaluated different profiles and took them under cross streets."

The right-of-way acquisition underwent notable positive transformations, according to Horrocks. Typically, additional land is procured to ensure project security, which can yield favorable results. However, capitalizing on the increased collaboration of the progressive design-build approach, the team was able to acquire just the right amount of land, minimizing unnecessary impacts on the landowners. The process was executed seamlessly, leaving a positive imprint on both the project, and the affected residents.

Rance Pickering, Project Manager for Granite Construction, added that the design of the project was ingenious in that it provided benefits to the local community and traveling public midway through the project, allowing traffic flow to run in two lanes in each direction.

"Traffic was flowing at a higher speed and safer through the corridor, offering benefits to the public a year and a half in," he said. "Progressive design-build allowed us ultimately to give the client the project they wanted."

"This project had some huge challenges. It's an environmentally sensitive area," added Scott Wiscombe, Construction Manager for Granite. "There were a lot of challenges just in how it was going to be built. The right thing to do was go PDB."

Pickering also praised the JV contractor team for working well together and having the project fully opened by the end of June.

"When we set this contract in February 2020, as soon as we started Covid hit, we had floods, [inclement] weather, an earthquake—there was a lot stacked up against us," said Pickering. "It would have been easy to say 'Hey, we need more time', but we were able to work through [challenges]—it's who we are. We hit that date, and I'm proud of that."

Wight said UDOT's second PDB project is underway, with the JV team of Granite Construction and W.W. Clyde of Orem reconstructing 5600 South/I-15 in Roy, a $330 million contract that will run through 2026.

"I think (PDB) is specific to complicated jobs," said Wight, mentioning community input, a challenging engineering scope, significant third-party owners, complicated utilities and other unknown concerns as factors that can be mitigated by the delivery method. "This is a great tool in the toolbox to identify challenges up front."

" I think there is a lot of opportunity out there," added Romero. "(PDB) is not a silver bullet, not the right fit for all projects, but I think it's a great opportunity for the department to minimize risk, as well as the contractor."