In This Issue

	Letter from the Editor
	Coast Guard Approves Plan for Jordan Bridge Replacement

Letter from the Editor:

We are offering a much shorter version of the Tom Warne Report this week and will not publish again until January 8, 2010. We appreciate our very loyal readers throughout the year.

During 2009, we reported on many significant transportation stories each week in The Tom Warne Report. In this last issue for the year, I felt it appropriate to share what's happening on a project I work on that goes beyond engineering or construction. It is in keeping with the spirit of giving and service we feel at this time of year.

Last week I was facilitating the partnering meeting for the Woodmen Road Corridor Improvement Project—Phase 1. This project is located in the City of Colorado Springs with URS providing design and other contract services for the project. The contractor is Edward Kraemer and Sons, Inc. This is a difficult urban job with challenges relating to business access, residential interactions, major utility relocations and the need to maintain traffic in a vital corridor.

During our session last week the team discussed many noteworthy partnering activities that occurred on the project since our last meeting. I was impressed that this project is exemplary because Edward Kraemer and Sons (EKS) is going way beyond expectations in approaching their stewardship to care for the community being impacted by the construction. Words may not do justice to what was reported but here are a few of the things EKS has done to promote goodwill:

• Assisted a stranded resident when her motorized wheel chair battery died in one of the shopping center parking lots. They loaded her chair in a pick-up and gave her a ride home.

• Repaired a wooden fence and gate and constructed a short handicap ramp allowing a resident with multiple sclerosis access to the back door of her apartment/townhome residence. This resident was hampered by the temporary loss of her parking spot and access to her front entrance due to temporary construction easement limits.

• Worked in conjunction with the local radio station (KILO), local Salvation Army, and King Soopers (grocery) to promote their “Stuff the Truck” campaign for food donations for Thanksgiving distribution to local families in need. The overall event gathered approximately 17,000 lbs of food. The project team offered a free BBQ during one day of the event to thank shoppers for continuing to support local businesses throughout the construction project as well as for donations to the “Stuff the Truck” campaign.

Along with the BBQ, EKS made a donation in kind for the chef’s time and efforts to the Shining Star Foundation, a Colorado local foundation supporting children with cancer and other life threatening diseases.

• Donated TREX fence materials to the local Habitat for Humanity from an existing fence that was removed and will be replaced with a precast concrete fence.

• Donated to a fundraiser for the Pikes Peak Christian School.

Mike Ingram is the Project Manager for EKS. If you know Mike then you aren’t surprised by these examples--it’s the kind of man he is. As I listened during our partnering session, I was struck by the fact that you just can’t write a spec that details how a contractor should treat the community they are impacting with their work. The kinds of things EKS has done here are not written in the contract or on a plan sheet. There’s no pay item for any of them. The origins are found in the culture of the company and in the hearts of their employees. Mike is probably terribly embarrassed that his name appears this week in The Tom Warne Report. Right now he's probably giving credit to the many members of his team as well as the folks from the city, URS and the many subs that are working on the project. They have also cooperated with these amazing acts of service; kudos to them as well.

I felt compelled to share this example that our projects are about more than just concrete, steel, asphalt or signs and signals. They are about people. We are a business about people-- we must never forget it.

Have a great Holiday. Tom

Coast Guard Approves Plan for Jordan Bridge Replacement

PORTSMOUTH – The U.S. Coast Guard has approved plans for a private firm to build a replacement to the Jordan Bridge between Portsmouth and Chesapeake across the Elizabeth River. The nationally recognized Figg Bridge Developers, of Tallahassee, Fla., plans to build the new bridge for under $100 million, with the opening slated for summer 2011.

The former, 80-year-old Jordan Bridge was closed in November 2008 due to safety concerns, and has since been removed. The new bridge will be one of the few new transportation projects for the Hampton Roads area, as the state of Virginia is essentially out of road funding.

Former VDOT commissioner Philip Shucet is a member of the Figg development team planning to build the bridge with no public money. The group will Instead recover its investment by charging motorists $2 to cross the bridge.

Local city and state officials have strongly supported the new bridge, which would not have been possible without private investment. The state has not significantly increased new road funding for 20 years, except for borrowing through bond packages.

Drivers in South Norfolk and South Portsmouth dealt with increased congestion since the old bridge closed, and mostly will not mind paying the toll. "It has to pay for itself and the citizens have to put in sometimes," said driver Clifton Cabarras. "I’m looking forward to it becoming a reality. Talk is good, but reality is a lot better."

The timeline for this very interesting PPP effort is noteworthy. The original proposal was submitted December 23, 2008. The City Council approved the proposal on January 23, 2009 and final approval was given on December 11, 2009. Less than one year from start to finish. I believe there are many things to be learned from this effort; I hope we do. TW