Carlisle 5

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department embarked on a three-year, multi-million dollar program to rebuild the interstate from Ft. Smith to Memphis, and from Little Rock to Texarkana. Gilbert Central Corp., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, was awarded a $16.3 million A+B contract to reconstruct 6.4 mi. of I-40 from Lonoke to Carlisle. The contract stipulated that all work be performed by closing only one lane of traffic in each direction during construction.

To keep traffic moving efficiently, the project was completed in two phases. The first phase of reconstruction involved closing the driving lane, installing the edge drain system and rebuilding the shoulder. After milling the asphalt shoulder and excavating a trench, the edge drain was installed. Pipe and rock materials were encapsulated in a fabric “bag” within the trench. Next, the “bag” was closed at the top using a zipper-type method.

During the second phase, traffic was routed onto the reconstructed shoulder, while the passing lane was rubblized. Next, the debonded exposed steel was removed, followed by asphalt paving.

Although crews worked amid heavy traffic within a tight area, the project was completed in 180 days – 70 days ahead of the owner's 250-day maximum time allowance. Major project quantities included nearly 260,000 tons of asphalt, 180,000 sq. yd. of rubblizing concrete, and 76,000 ft. of edge drain.