Under Construction
I-195 Concrete Repairs |
Project at a Glance
June 2011
Est Completion Date
August 2012
District
Richmond
Contact
Customer Service Center
800-367-7623
Project Information
This project involves the rehabilitation of nearly two miles of existing concrete pavement and 12 ramps along I-195 north and south between Meadow Street and just north of West Cary Street in Richmond. Construction activities involve under drain installation, concrete patching, asphalt overlay, pavement markings and guardrail upgrades. This project will result in improved ride quality and increased driver safety.
What hours are they working? Will the work continue during the winter months?
The contractor is restricted from working when traffic is heaviest on I-195. Therefore, they are permitted to work under a single lane closure north and southbound Monday through Friday between 6:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. They can work under a double lane closure Monday through Friday between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. southbound and between 7:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. northbound.
Like most road construction activities, concrete repair is weather-dependent. The contractor will be monitoring the weather forecast and will schedule work when conditions are favorable. As a result, there could be several days or weeks of inactivity due to unfavorable temperatures and/or precipitation.
Why can't the work be done during the day?
I-195 is a busy urban highway that carries approximately 33,000 vehicles per day. During peak weekday hours, approximately 1,400 drivers use this section of I-195 per hour. Any lane closures or construction activities during weekdays would likely result in major traffic delays.
Is there anything that can be done about the overnight construction noise?
Once the concrete patch is poured, it must cure for at least four hours before the contractor can reopen the lane to traffic by 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. so as not to impact rush hour traffic. Therefore, they must complete any work to prep the area for concrete by midnight or 1 a.m. to allow enough cure time prior to rush hour. The concrete prep activities (ex. removing existing pavement with a jackhammer) often produce the most noise to nearby residents.
Allowing weekend work is an option that would need to be coordinated with the adjacent Richmond Metropolitan Authority toll booth project managers and the organizers of any planned special events downtown. If work is needed on a ramp, we may permit the contractor to do the work during weekdays if we expect there will be minor traffic impacts. At this time, we are reviewing these options to reduce the frequency of overnight work needed to complete this project as scheduled.
