This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of the APWA Reporter.
Thursday, August 9, 2018 was a historic day in Southern Nevada. Fifteen (15) miles of new Interstate (I-11) were officially opened ahead of schedule. This segment of I-11 marks the first new Interstate Highway System to be built since it was deemed complete on October 14, 1992 with the opening of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon, Colorado. I had the privilege and opportunity to spend over ten percent (10%) of my life on the project. I want to share my experience and remind everyone why our voice matters.
Project History
December 2000 – Project Proposed by Wendell Cox and Jean Love in Roads & Bridges magazine
December 2005 – Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) & Record of Decision Complete
June 2007 – Preliminary Design Complete
July 2012 – MAP-21 Designates “Interstate 11 Corridor”
September 2013 – Clark County Commissioners Approve Fuel Revenue Indexing
November 2013 – Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) Releases Design Build Request for Proposal (RFP)
November 2013 – University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) discovers Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) on the project site
December 2014 – EIS Re-Evaluation
December 2014 – RTC Selects Design-Builder: Las Vegas Paving Corporation
April 2015 – Construction Notice to Proceed
October 2018 – Final Completion
Project Statistics
• 5,200,000 Cubic Yards of Blasting
• 6,000,000 Cubic Yards of Embankment
• 28,000 Lineal Feet of Storm Drain Improvements
• 350,000 Tons Asphalt Pavement
• 550,000 Tons Aggregate Base
• 11 Bridges
• 30,000 Cubic Yards of Structural Concrete
A project that starts well generally ends well, and this was the case with I-11. Complex projects, such as I-11, require a tremendous amount of coordination. From the start, the RTC did an outstanding job of getting everyone together and on the same page. The saying, “no man can serve two masters” definitely applies when design review is being performed by multiple agencies. I-11 design review was performed by: Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), Federal Highways Administration (FHWA), National Park Service (NPS), Arizona Game and Fish (AZGAF), Boulder City (BC), and Boulder City Airport (BCA) just to name a few. When design review has to pass through that many agencies, sirens and alarms go off in my head. How are all of these agencies going to agree? How are we going to get a design approved? The RTC assembled a management team and created and atmosphere, where all the stakeholders involved, could openly communicate and talk through the various problems that arose during design and construction. Without the RTC’s planning and foresight, the project would not have been the success it was.
As noted in the Project History, UNLV discovered NOA on the project site during the RFP. Addendums to the RFP were made which required the design builder to create a NOA Management Plan (NMP) to protect its employees and the general public. After being awarded the project Las Vegas Paving, in partnership with SCS Engineers, developed an approved NMP. This plan required 24-hour perimeter monitoring in active work areas, project personnel monitoring, weather monitoring, dust monitoring, and surface soil monitoring. Over the project duration there were over 16,000 air samples, 950 personnel samples, and 250 soil samples collected and analyzed. In the words of the project’s Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) Gary Pons, “Never has this amount of data been collected on one project. The data proves that the diligent and continuous execution of the project’s NMP was an overwhelming success in protecting the workforce and the general public. Additionally, the results are clear, NOA does exist across the project site, but the concentration levels are not remotely concerning.” This was the first project in Southern Nevada to deal with NOA and without the expertise provided by SCS Engineers; the project would not have been a success.
Las Vegas Paving partnered with the CA Group for design services. The CA Group worked diligently to develop 100% design drawings, but that did not stop Las Vegas Paving from starting construction. The final overall design was completed in March 2016. By March 2016, with the help of the CA Group, Las Vegas Paving had moved nearly 3,000,000 cubic yards of material, started construction of three (3) bridges, and placed miles of storm drain culvert. This “Jump Start” helped the project open ahead of schedule. The CA Group’s design services did not end at 100% drawings, the CA Group worked with Las Vegas Paving to make design changes throughout the project. Some notable design changes include: traffic control reconfiguration for the tie-in to US-93, design of a rock anchor system that was not anticipated, and design of additional embankment areas to reduce cost. There were also times they collaborated with Las Vegas Paving to resolve issues that were discovered during construction. Without the expertise of the CA Group, the project would not have been a success.
Las Vegas Paving self-performed over 80% of the work on the project. Since Las Vegas Paving is a local company, it employs local tradesmen and tradeswomen. It took approximately 250,000 tradesmen and tradeswomen hours, by Las Vegas Paving employees, to complete construction. That total does not include the countless hours spent by designers, subcontractors, and office personnel. Without the countless hours and sleepless nights of Las Vegas Paving tradesmen and tradeswomen, this project would not have finished ahead of schedule or been the success it was. After completion of this project, Las Vegas Paving’s slogan still rings true, “We’re Number 1.”
Everyone’s hard work paid off on August 9, 2018. I-11 was officially opened. There was definitely a party, Las Vegas style. All who were involved on the project were invited, it is estimated nearly 500 people attended. US Congressmen, US Congresswomen, US Senators, State Senators, State Congressmen, State Congresswomen, County Commissioners, and Mayors were all eager and willing to attend the grand opening. This is what they live for. I-11 is a direct result of years of hard work with MAP-21 and fuel indexing. Nevada was one of the first states to allow counties to index local fuel taxes to inflation to pay for maintenance and construction of infrastructure. Everyone from President Obama to the voting citizen had a part in bringing I-11 to Southern Nevada.
Now the question, how does this affect me or how can I effect change. It all starts by advocating for public works, no voice is too small. Talk to your friends and neighbors about what you do each and every day. Share with people how their tax dollars are spent on infrastructure. Share with people the budget issues you face. Sign up for APWA’s Legislative Action Center, where you can easily communicate with Washington D.C. The best part is APWA does all the work for you. If it were not for Public Works advocates, like you and me, I-11 would not exist and change could not be made. In the words of a good friend, “Why do I advocate for Public Works? Because if I don’t, who will?”
About the Author
Steven Ireland is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada and a graduate of APWA’s Emerging Leaders Academy VII. He currently serves on APWA’s Government Affairs Committee and works for Las Vegas Paving Corporation focusing on alternative construction delivery methods.
