Cedar Valley Corp. was the recipient of a paving award at the 11th annual American Concrete Pavement Association's national meeting held in San Diego, California, December 1, 2001. During the awards presentation, Cedar Valley Corp. was awarded a Gold Award, the highest honor presented nationally to recognize quality in concrete pavement. The awards program recognizes contractors, engineers, and project owners who completed outstanding projects in 2000.
Cedar Valley proudly accepted the award for Traffic Management for our 2000 project on I-35/I-80 in Des Moines. The award is a testament to forward thinking management and the safety conscious workforce who built this project. Amazingly, nearly 24 million vehicles passed through the work zone without a single construction related accident. Without a doubt, the decision to place temporary barrier rail on the shoulder in both directions between the plant site and the project was an innovative and masterful stroke in preventing accidents.
The following is an excerpt from the Executive Summary of the submittal:
"Traffic management was vital to the project with an estimated 70,000 vehicles per day traveling through the construction zone. The contract provisions specified that normal four-lane traffic be maintained through the project and that ramp access remain open at all times. Cedar Valley Corp. took a very proactive approach to its traffic control. At Cedar Valley's expense, a line of barrier rail that extended more than 3,300 lineal feet was placed down the shoulder of the interstate, in both directions, to the plan site. This method successfully allowed construction traffic to enter and exit the interstate to and from the project without impacting the traveling public. The concrete batch plant was also deliberately located to allow the required raw materials to be delivered by non-interstate routes, which further diminished the project's impact on the area. Furthermore, Cedar Valley worked very closely with the Iowa Highway Patrol to strategically reroute ramp traffic during times of high traffic interference. The results were phenomenal. During the construction project, more than 23,723,000 vehicles passed through the work zone without a single construction related accident."
The ACPA President and CEO Val Riva said "The ACPA Excellence Awards are as much about people as projects. In our view, these awards recognize a commitment and determination to produce the world's greatest, safest and most efficient pavements."
Pavement construction can be a dangerous business. This award is not only about innovative traffic management; it is also about easing congestion to help people get to and from work on time and home a little more safely.