Ames broke ground on the 56th Avenue Widening project in Denver in August.
Project Superintendent Perry Lopez leads the tight-knit field team, which has adopted Perry’s “can do” approach. This group frequently shares craft/crew resources to complete tasks that may require additional support.
A few months into the project, this “can do” culture proved to be a critical asset when a sink hole was discovered while constructing the grading improvements for a new signalized intersection.
The sinkhole was caused by significant deterioration to the top of a sanitary sewer line that was old and in need of repair. Further investigation revealed that multiple segments of the existing line were either damaged or completely gone as a result of the deterioration caused by hydrogen sulfide that off-gassed from sewage.
Because of the health and safety threats to the traveling public, 56th Avenue was immediately closed. The client (City and County of Denver) requested Ames’ emergency support, with crews working 24/7 for 18 consecutive days to replace the damaged line. Non-stop double shifts were critical because the repair work required the bypassing of 10.8 million gallons of sewage per day.
“These crews never questioned the need to put in 80+ hour weeks. Needless to say, the City of Denver was extremely pleased when the emergency repairs were completed and the roadway was opened back up.”
The notable crews that performed this work are led by Foremen Larry Pagel, Alfonso Deherrera, and Nelson Mares. “These crews never questioned the need to put in 80+ hour weeks,” says Senior Project Manager Jesse Gross. “Needless to say, the City of Denver was extremely pleased when the emergency repairs were completed and the roadway was opened back up.”
Additional crews led by Tracy Sylvester, Lorenzo Martinez, Pinky Long, Jamie Aguirre, Joe Gamma, and Bobby Sarco are also on the project, which is bringing improvements to about three miles of East 56th Avenue. Project scope includes widening the roadway from one to at least two travel lanes in each direction, adding a median, installing new signals, and improving drainage.
Crews will also construct a multiuse trail that will connect neighborhood trails to the trail system of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, which borders this segment of 56th Avenue. The former chemical weapons manufacturing facility is now a 15,000-acre preserve.
The project is working toward an intermediate milestone date of mid-May 2023 to complete all of the westbound improvements, switch traffic, and begin the eastbound improvements. Final completion is on track for March of 2024.
