91ÊÓƵ

PROJECT TEAM + STATS:

Project Location: Portland, Oregon

Project Cost: $180 million

Start Date: January 2007

Completion Date: November 2009

Owner/Developer: TriMet

Architect: Waterleaf Architecture

Engineer: David Evans and Associates, URS Corporation

General Contractor: South Corridor Constructors, a joint venture between Stacy and Witbeck, Granite Construction Company and Wildish Standard Paving Company

As construction began to extend light rail south along Interstate 205 to Clackamas Town Center, the project team literally found itself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

During excavation, civil crews ran into a large rock outcropping that proved too much for traditional excavator-mounted rock hammers. The slow progress of excavation quickly threatened the construction schedule, and blasting the rock wasn’t an option because of nearby residents, businesses and traffic. South Corridor Constructors’ innovative solution was to use expansive grout.

The I-205 segment of MAX’s new green line, which spans 6.5 miles, included the construction of eight stations and four Park & Rides that allow eastside riders to travel to downtown Portland without transferring trains.

As seven new bridges were built over existing roads and intersections, South Corridor Constructors collaborated with the Oregon Department of Transportation, the project owner, to minimize traffic disruptions by completing pours and girder sets during non-peak hours. This effort to reduce the project’s impact on the public included setting 150-foot girders at night.