Fort Worth - Demanding Growth
By Riley Seahorn
Of the top 30 most populous cities , Fort Worth is the fastest growing, at 4.1 percent population growth since 2020 and the largest numeric population gain of any US city in 2022, according to the US Census Bureau. With that, there are many City of Fort Worth, TxDOT and developer-driven projects under way to meet population demands and improve the city’s infrastructure. Located on the Northside of Fort Worth, Alliance Town Center, a new shopping, entertainment, and residential development, is an example of the outward expansion spurred by the population boom. This growth created the need for expanded infrastructure and was the driver behind the 2018 City Bond for Streets and Mobility Improvements. In order to handle the expected traffic flow in the rapidly growing Alliance Town Center area, the City determined that the two mile span of Harmon Road (a main thoroughfare in the vicinity) between US287 and Golden Triangle Blvd needed to be expanded from a two-lane roadway to a four-lane road with turn lanes and three integral roundabouts at major intersections with 10-foot-wide shared use sidewalks. Initially, the project was intended to be a public hard bid traditional selection, however after partnering with McCarthy Building Companies on a major infrastructure project (Hemphill Street Connector) near downtown that successfully demonstrated the benefits of Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method, the City decided to use CMAR for the Harmon Road project procurement – awarding the work to McCarthy Building Companies’ Southern Region Civil Business Unit.
Stakeholder and Construction CMAR delivery enables the owner, contractor, and engineer to align and work in partnership from early engagement through construction delivery, providing the best outcome for the client, community, and stakeholders. The first significant challenge of the project was sequencing construction to best fit the project constraints while taking into consideration stakeholders along the project corridor (developers, residents, businesses) as well as City Council directives on closing major and minor intersections. The main planning focal points were the phasing of roundabouts at Presidio Vista, Heritage Trace, and Golden Triangle intersections along with two water main tie-ins during the low demand season. The team worked together to prepare their approach to the critical intersections and tie-ins for key stakeholder and City Council approval–providing numerous phasing options with timelines and cost analysis for performing the roundabouts in complete closures, half closures, and quarters. Each sequence ranged from three months out to more than nine months. Stakeholders advised the team to proceed with a variety of closures subject to traffic detour impacts. Presidio Vista was to be constructed in halves, Heritage Trace in thirds (the west half as a full roadway closure and the east half split into two quarter closures) and lastly Golden Triangle in halves. Knowing the sequence required for each roundabout, the team created a detailed eight-phased plan. The existing roadway alignment provided a unique obstacle to the eight phases. The roadway from
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csengineermag.com
AUGUST 2023
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