Ohio 23 2015

By Irwin RapoportCEG CORRESPONDENT

The Lakefront West project inCleveland, a $95 million OhioDepartment of Transportation andcity of Cleveland initiative/partner-ship, will be completed in the sum-mer of 2018 by the Great LakesConstruction Co. The contractor,via individual bids, is doing allthree phases of the work.Another contractor had been

awarded the first of the project —the pedestrian tunnels — andbegan work initially in 2010, butODOT decided to rebid the projectafter unanticipated soil conditionsrequired a redesign of a retainingwall along the Lakefront. GreatLakes, the low bidder, was award-ed the contract in the summer of2012, and began work shortlyafterwards (late summer/fall).The project is connecting

Cleveland’s west side neighbor-hoods with the lakefront by creat-ing multi-modal connections alongthe West Shoreway between WestBoulevard and the Main AvenueBridge. It will increase access to Lake

Erie, improve green space, bikingand pedestrian facilities, increasedevelopment potential and simpli-fy connections along the now lim-ited-access freeway, according tothe Web site for the project. Thistwo-mile freeway will be trans-formed into a scenic, tree-linedboulevard. The project will pre-serve three lanes of traffic in eachdirection — the same numbermotorists see today. Reduction ofthe speed limit from 50 mph to 35mph is expected to add just over aminute of total travel time alongthe boulevard. In 2008 ODOT andthe city of Cleveland eliminated

proposed plans to include signal-ized intersections along the corri-dor, further reducing travel timesyet maintaining a scenic, boule-vard feel.The project includes improve-

ments for a variety of transporta-tion choices, including publictransportation, cyclists, runnersand pedestrians. The West 73rd Street Extension

creates a new link from the DetroitShoreway neighborhood directly

to Edgewater Park, according tothe Web page. The new piece ofroadway will dip beneath the rail-road tracks and connect to theexisting entrance to EdgewaterPark. As part of the West Shorewayreconstruction, crews also willconstruct a new off road multipur-pose trail along the Shoreway fromWest Boulevard to West 28thStreet. The landscaped and lightedpath will be about 10 ft. (3 m) wideand will accommodate cyclists of

all levels as well as pedestrians.Amanda McFarland, ODOT’s

public information officer ofDistrict 12 (Cuyahoga, Lake andGeauga Counties), points out that akey reason for the project is that in2002, the city of Cleveland initiat-ed a comprehensive update of thecity’s Master Plan to create a moreaccessible lakefront. “The study identified the West

Shoreway, renamed to LakefrontWest, as the first transportation

project to be tackled,” she said.“Furthermore, the GoverningBoard of the Northeast OhioAreawide Coordinating Agency(NOACA) approved the LakefrontWest Project for placement on Tier1 of the Regional TransportationImprovement Plan (TIP) and thestate of Ohio’s TransportationReview Advisory Council (TRAC)also weighed in and approvedfunding for the project.”

$95M Project to Connect Cleveland’s West Side, Lakefront

OHIO STATE EDITION A Supplement to:

Your Ohio Connection: Ed Bryden, Strongsville, OH • 1-800-810-7640

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

November 72015

Vol. XVIII • No. 23

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The Lakefront West project in Cleveland, a $95 million Ohio Department of Transportation and city of Cleveland initiative/partnership,will be completed in the summer of 2018 by the Great Lakes Construction Co. The contractor, via individual bids, is doing all three phas-es of the work.

see PROJECT page 2

Page 2 • November 7, 2015 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Ohio State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

ODOT Uses Variety of Tools to Anticipate Traffic Flow

The study corridor of the projectruns along the existing alignmentof Ohio state Route 2 from CliftonBoulevard on the west to the MainAvenue Bridge on the east, and it isbounded on the south by theNorfolk Southern Railroad and onthe north by various properties,including Edgewater Park,Cleveland-Cuyahoga County PortAuthority’s bulk material termi-nals, Cleveland’s Garrett MorganWater Treatment Plant and theNortheast Ohio Regional SewerDistrict’s westerly sewage treat-ment plant. “The existing corridor offers

limited access to the waterfront,”said McFarland.The current grid has westbound

interchanges at West 25th Street(entrance)/West 28th Street (exit),West 49th Street (exit only),Edgewater Park (full interchange),Lake Blvd. (exit only), and endswith a signalized intersection at

Clifton Blvd. Eastbound, the corri-dor begins from the intersection atClifton and has interchanges atLake Blvd. (entrance only),Edgewater Park (full interchange),West 45th Street (entrance/exit),and West 28th Street(entrance)/West 25th Street (exit).Public hearings contributed to

the current plan, which advancedthrough ODOT’s ProjectDevelopment Process (PDP),which includes engineering andenvironmental studies to developconceptual and feasible alterna-tives and ultimately identifies apreferred alternative.As part of the studies, ODOT

explored boulevard gateway con-cepts along the corridor and multi-model connections to the lakefrontat the following locations: WestBoulevard/Lake, Lake/Clifton,West 76th, Edgewater Park, West73rd, West 65th, Norfolk andSouthern Railroad over WestShoreway, West 54th, West

49th/West 45th, West 28th andWest 25th.“The four public meetings had

approximately 140 to 200 in atten-dance,” said McFarland. “The con-sensus from the public was thatsome sort of change was needed,including improved connectivity to

the Lakefront, an increase in greenspace, reducing traffic congestionand improving access for allusers.”The first phase of the work, $6.4

million, saw the rehabilitation ofthe Lake Avenue (completedAugust 2012) and West 76th Street

(completed in July 2013) pedestri-an tunnels under the ClevelandMemorial Shoreway, with theGreat Lakes crews arriving on sitein summer 2012 and delivering in2013. The work includedimproved access, lighting and

“ODOT coordinated with the railroad company throughout the project as the tracks had to be tem-porarily relocated during construction,” said Amanda McFarland, ODOT’s public information offi-cer of District 12 (Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga Counties).

“This phase of the project creates a connection to the lakefrontand Edgewater Park in Cleveland that previously did not exist,”said Amanda McFarland, ODOT’s public information officer ofDistrict 12 (Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga Counties).

see PROJECT page 4

PROJECT from page 1

Construction Equipment Guide • Ohio State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • November 7, 2015 • Page 3


drainage.“The project was broken down into three different phases

for funding purposes,” said McFarland. “The pedestrian tun-nel renovation work was the first phase of the eagerly antic-ipated project. These tunnels are now ADA compliant andprovide safe access to the lakefront for pedestrians and thoseon bicycles. The soil conditions in the area created chal-lenges when constructing the ADA compliant ramps at theWest 76th Street tunnel. The contractors and ODOT workedtogether to overcome this challenge by adjusting how theretaining walls were constructed.”

ODOT engineers and the city of Cleveland as well asMichael Baker Jr. Inc. are handling the overall design for theLakefront West project (now Michael Baker International).They began their work in 2006 when the funding wasapproved.“Balancing all of the modes of travel and working with

existing/adjacent infrastructure were some of the key chal-lenges,” said McFarland. “Relocating a portion of theNEORSD Westerly Interceptor and Cleveland Public Powerrelocations are among the utility issues that are beingaddressed.”One of the major design changes is the permanent closing

of the West 28th Street entrance ramp to the Shoreway east-bound.“The ramp currently enters the Main Avenue Bridge into

the left lane of the roadway,” said McFarland. “Because thesight distances are poor and merge distance is short, this hasbeen a hotspot for collisions. The removal of the ramp willeliminate this conflict point and allow for safer travel. Withthe closure, motorists will use Detroit Avenue to West 45thStreet to enter the Shoreway eastbound.“Lower speed facility with low speed connections are

among the other permanent roadway changes being plannedby ODOT,” she said, “as well as West 73rd Connection, theCul de sac at Tillman, realignment of the West 45th StreetIntersection, realignment of the West 25th to Main Avenue,and the closure of the EB entrance ramp from West 28thStreet.”ODOT has a “District Safety Review Team” in each of the

12 ODOT Districts, and the ODOT Office of SystemsPlanning publishes an annual prioritized list of locations thatmay be viewed online. “The state of Ohio has a statutory requirement that all pub-

lic works improvements, including highway improvements,be supervised by a licensed professional engineer registeredin the state,” said McFarland. “ It is the duty of the licensedprofessional engineer under whose supervision plans areprepared to ensure that improvements are designed to pro-vide for the safety of all road users, including motorists,cyclists and pedestrians. Occasionally safety flaws are iden-tified in the construction phase of a project. Such flaws areaddressed immediately when they are identified.”ODOT has a variety of tools to help design roads to antic-

ipate traffic flow and address safety concerns.“At a very high-level, traffic demand is estimated using a

traffic model maintained by each urban area’s metropolitanplanning organization,” said McFarland. “This model con-siders land use, employment locations, census data and high-way network connectivity to make forecasts of future trafficdemand to help highway engineers design roads for expect-ed future traffic needs. At a smaller level, the ITE TripGeneration Manual is used to estimate traffic for commercialand residential developments. “Ohio is one of the first states in the country to fully imple-

ment AASHTO Ware’s Safety Analyst to prioritize safetylocations across Ohio,” she said. “Safety Analyst uses state-of-the-art statistical methodologies to identify roadway loca-

Design Changes Include Closing West 28th Street Ramp

The second project, $21.1 million, started in July 2013and to be delivered this fall, has Great Lakes crewsextending West 73rd Street under the Norfolk Southernrailroad tracks along the Cleveland MemorialShoreway (SR 2) to connect with existing access toEdgewater Park in Cleveland.

PROJECT from page 2

see PROJECT page 6

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tions with the highest potential for reducing crashes. Thesoftware system flags spot locations and road segments thathave higher-than-predicted crash frequencies. It also flagslocations for review based on crash severity.”The second project, $21.1 million, started in July 2013

and to be delivered this fall, has Great Lakes crews extend-ing West 73rd Street under the Norfolk Southern railroadtracks along the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway (SR 2) toconnect with existing access to Edgewater Park inCleveland.“This phase of the project creates a connection to the lake-

front and Edgewater Park in Cleveland that previously didnot exist,” said McFarland, “and those who live in theDetroit Shoreway neighborhood now have safe access to theLake Erie. The work involves a grade separation of West73rd Street and Norfolk Southern Railway, relocation of aportion of the NEORSD Westerly Interceptor and connec-tion to the West Shoreway.“ODOT coordinated with the railroad company through-

out the project as the tracks had to be temporarily relocatedduring construction,” she said. “The railroad tracks will berestored to their original location and the area along the trackwill be restored to its original condition.”

The third project, $41.5 million, includes West ShorewayReconstruction and safety improvements at West 28th Streetand West 45th Street. The work began last June and shouldbe delivered in the summer of 2018.Jim Fox, Great Lakes vice president of operations, dis-

cusses the soil conditions encountered on the first phase.“Horrible, silty conditions with a high groundwater table,”

he said. “It made things very challenging. A series of sanddrains were added by the design engineer and installed as weexcavated down. Combined with the use of 2 and 3-inchpumps, we were able to manage the groundwater issuesenough to get our work performed.”The hardest part of the job was constructing the retaining

walls for the ADA ramps.“What you see is a conventional concrete retaining wall

with some artistic stainless steel decorations, but that’s onlypart of the story,” said Fox. “Behind the concrete are combi-nation sheet pile and soldier pipe pile walls. The soldiers are36-inch diameter pipe piles with external locks for the sheetpiles to thread into. Precise layout was important, and weused an elaborate two tiered template system to make sureeverything fit properly. After the open pipe piles and sheetswere driven to grade, we augured out the soil and filled withconcrete. Some of the deeper pipe piles had soldier I-beamsinstalled inside them for additional strength.”Crews started the piling in September of 2012 and

wrapped up in the winter. Concrete wall crews arrived in latefall and worked through the winter. The last few wing wallswere complete in the spring of 2013 for the grand opening inearly summer.“It was a tough, little project,” said Fox. “We were sand-

wiched between the railroad and the Shoreway, with no lay-down area to speak of. It was a major heavy/civil project ona ‘postage stamp.’ A lot of planning and coordination wasneeded to make sure our pile crews and carpenter crewsworked safely and efficiently.”For the first phase, Great Lakes and its subcontractors had

nearly 20 workers on site daily during the peak constructionseason. Some of the key subcontractors were Miller Cablefor electrical and highway lighting, Foundation Steel forrebar and Jadco for the sealing and painting of the new andexisting concrete walls and tunnels.For the project, nearly 7,000 cu. yds. (5,351.8 cu m) of

earth excavation and 100 cu. yds. (76.4 cu m) of concretewere removed. Crews placed combination steel shell pile —4,950 linear ft. (1,508.7 m) and steel sheeting wall — 10,250sq. ft. (952.2 sq m) with 600 cu. yds. (458 cu m) of fill con-crete. In addition, 49,000 lbs. (22,226 kg) of reinforcingsteel and 425 cu. yds. (324 cu m) of structural concrete wereplaced.Great Lakes Construction bid on all three design-bid-build

projects separately.“They were all competitive bids, and we put a lot of work

into them,” said Fox. “The other contractors who bid theseprojects are historically very aggressive with pricing. Beingcomplacent at bid time just because we had the first projectwas not an option. We felt we were the right contractor forODOT because of our versatility and ability to hit the aggres-sive milestones of the schedule. Our estimating team workedvery hard and collaborated with operations and project man-agement before the bid to squeeze every nickel we could tobe the low and successful bidder.”

(This story also can be found on ConstructionEquipment Guide’s Web site at www.constructionequip-mentguide.com.) CEG

Great Lakes Crews Extend West 73rd Street for $21.1M JobPROJECT from page 4


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Ohio 23 2015