CR 2009 (Lake Disston Dr.) Widening and Resurfacing - Flagler County, FL
This project is an ongoing project for the widening and resurfacing of a 2.4 mile road which services residents as well recreational users of Lake Disston. The road is in poor condition and needs to be improved before deterioration reaches the point of requiring a complete reconstruction. Lake Disston Rd. does not currently meet existing safety standards regarding pavement and shoulder widths, so this project also included the required improvements to bring the corridor up to code.
For this project that includes widening the roadway to meet the required lane widths, and constructing a shoulder of sufficient width as well. These improvements make it necessary to design for the impacts to the roadside driveways, mailboxes, drainage systems including several culverts and headwalls, and adjacent utilities.
Many of the residents along Lake Disston Rd. have a long history with and vested interest in Lake Disston. The lake is an Outstanding Florida Waterway, and many of the residents along this stretch of roadway were responsible for its designation as such. For that reason, this project was of great interest to them, and many meetings with the residents were necessary to receive input, investigate alternatives and convey the impacts of construction.
MetaWorld was involved in three meetings with the residents, as Flagler County's Engineering Consultants. The first was held at Haw Creek Community center, where we discussed what our intent was and received input. This meeting resulted in MetaWorld altering our design such that paved shoulders were not included, but the required stabilized shoulders would be; as well as reducing the lane sizes such that the corridor meets safety requirements, but does not expand upon that. Additionally, we learned of concerns regarding any impact to the lake. The second meeting was held at Flagler County offices, where we discussed the chosen minimum impact alternative that will be utilized. The third meeting was a visit to the individual driveways of those most concerned, to "stake out" the improvements and discuss how they affected the residents; and included the involvement of an official from St. John's River Water Management District.
This third meeting was particularly unique to public improvement projects in general. Engineering Consultants will not typically make such efforts to address citizen concerns, and assist the client in doing so as well. As a result of our extra efforts, the citizens were able to understand what we were doing and verify the impacts to Lake Disston would be minimal due to the design and technique used. Additionally, we were able to physically locate the limits of the Right-of-Way, which helped the residents understand what we were and weren't able to do with public funding. We offered suggestions that could alleviate citizen problems that could not be addressed because they did not exist within the Right-of-Way. There was a better understanding of the project all around, after this meeting.
The project is currently in the design phase, with expectations of construction beginning in the beginning of 2016. Ultimately, MetaWorld was able to show what it is to have the MetaWorld Advantage. We also had the opportunity to display our dedication to our Clients as well as the Communities we live in.
I-4 / I-95 Ramp Skid Hazard Safety Project - Daytona Beach, FL
This project was a safety project for two ramps of the I-4 / I-95 interchange that experience high crash rates (the southbound I-95 to westbound I-4 and eastbound I-4 to northbound I-95 ramps). Both ramps were experiencing high crash rates, largley the result of skidding off the roadway or overcorrecting after skidding. Upon review of accident data and site conditions it was determined that there were a number of measures that needed to be taken in order to adequately address the safety issues. A member of our team was responsible for the engineering and permitting of all tasks required of this project, as well as served as the contact point for in-field construction inquiries.
The provided data indicated that one of the issues involved in this problem was that the existing superelevation rates on both ramps were insufficient for the design speed; as such this was brought to standard where feasible. Another issue involved with this area was that rainfall run-off was pushing large amounts of water directly over the roadway surface. This issue was addressed by using a porous granite friction coarse, which allowed water to run-off beneath the surface of the roadway while still providing traction. The final major defect contributing to the high accident count was the lane configuration of the eastbound to northbound ramp.
Initially, the configuration of the ramp was strongly opposed by the FDOT, upon presentation however, it was determined that this change would not negatively impact traffic and would positively impact the accident rate. Our staff was also able to recieve acceptance from the FDOT to close both ramps at night during construction, despite being initially denied. The persistence to permit this construction method not only saved the public money, but it got a crucial safety improvement completed in weeks rather than months, and it was a safer project for the construction crew. Ultimately, the area now experiences far fewer accidents than before and it was done as efficiently as possible.
Old Kings Road Elementary Sidewalks - Palm Coast, FL
This project was for the construction of almost a half mile of multi-use sidewalk on the eastern side of Old Kings Road from State Road 100 to the south entrance of Old Kings Elementary School; and on the west side of Old Kings Road from State Road 100 approximately 550 LF southward to meet with an existing sidewalk.
A member of our team served as the Project Manager and Design Engineer for the design and construction documents.
The project also included mitigation for stormwater impacts, extending an existing cross drain and extending and modifying various side drains at the various entrances to the adjacent commercial, retail and school sites. Pedestrian crosswalk signing and striping were also included in the design. Duties also included development of bid documents and specifications.
Roberts Road Extenstion and Widening - Palm Coast, FL
This was a roadway extension project of Roberts Road from Sea Ray Drive approximately 1,800 LF to Colbert Lane; as well as a road widening of Roberts Road from Sea Ray Drive southward approximately 5,500LF.
A member of our team served as the Project Manager and Design Engineer, and was also responsible for all associated permitting.
The project also included the modification of an existing stormwater pond on the west side of Colbert Lane, extending and modifying existing stormwater pipes and roadway and turn lane striping, pedestrian crosswalk signing and striping were also included in the design. Duties also included development of bid documents and specifications.
E8 Canal Slope Stability Project - Port St. Lucie, FL
This is an ongoing project for the revetment and stabilization of the E-8 Canal in Port St. Lucie. The project consisted of stabilizing roughly 1.1 miles of an emergency canal located in a residential neighborhood, which had experienced slope failure during emergency flood release operations.
Our staff is involved in this project as an outsourced Engineer to another local firm; and was responsible for assisting in design as well as performing construction inspection on behalf of the Engineer of Record.
This project presented very unique variables as the entire project limits are within an easement on which there are occupied homes on each side. In addition to technical issues which involved high groundwater and limited space, the design of this project needed to include the logistical aspects of how things were going to be built considering access to the construction segments had to occurr from within the easement itself due to being located within a residential neighborhood.
The project is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed by April of 2014.
Belle Terre Multi-Use Pathway - Palm Coast, FL
This project was for the construction of over 2 and a half miles of multi-use pathway connecting schools and recreational areas. A member of our team was responsible for preparing construction documents to provide a 2.6 miles 10-foot wide concrete multi-use path on the eastern side of Belle Terre Parkway between Pine Grove Drive and an existing sidewalk north of St. Elizabeth Seton Church; and 900 fee of 10 foot multi-use path along south side of Parkview Drive from Belle Terre Parkway to the entrance of Belle Terre Park.
The project also included connections and landscaping enhancements for Buddy Taylor Middle School and Wadsworth Elementary School as well as a 40foot pedestrian bridge over a drainage way on the west side of Belle Terre Parkway, which connected to an existing residential area.
Additionally, the project consisted of a 1,000 foot elevated bridge, mitigation for stormwater impacts and drainage improvements, pedestrian crosswalk signing /striping and signals. Duties also included development of bid documents and specifications as well as limited construction oversight.
John Anderson Drive Roadway Improvements - Ormond Beach, FL
This is an ongoing project for the resurfacing of John Anderson Drive from SR 40 to the northern limit of Ormond Beach. The project also includes traffic calming on John Anderson Drive, the addition of bike lanes to a portion of N. Halifax Drive, several drainage improvements and wet utility improvements.
A member of our team was responsible for the engineering and permitting of all roadway design aspects, spot drainage improvements, and for utility coordination.
This stretch of John Anderson Drive consistently experiences flooding and is considered unsafe due to minimal lane width and tree trunks lying just inches from the roadway. This stretch also has a long history of citizen concerns over tree preservation and is a part of the Ormond Beach Scenic Loop. The project has experienced over a decade of public involvement meetings which have resulted in the majority of the public in favor of doing whatever is possible to alleviate drainage concerns while preserving all tree life. As such, lane widening, and re-alignment or raising the road were options that were not available.
Aside from installing larger pipe and adding inlets wherever feasible given the constraints, one of the drainage measures used in this project included re-directing flow from inlets to different outfalls, in order to balance the overall network. Additionally, the road is to be milled and resurfaced such that the crown is restored, which helps direct run-off to the proper inlets. This project is in the final stage of permitting and creating bid documents. The project will be advertised in 2013.
Gables at Park Plaza - Austin, TX
This project was the recipient of the Austin Business Journal Best Multi-Family Project of 2010 Award. The project was a joint venture between the City of Austin and Gables Residential, and consisted of roughly five acres of mixed use land improvement centrally located in downtown Austin. The development included design of four roadways and a round-about intersection that were to be dedicated as Right of Way to the City.
A member of our team was responsible for the engineering and permitting of all civil site aspects including site layout and grading, drainage and pond design, wet utility design, road and sidewalk design and erosion control measures.
This project encountered a number of permitting challenges as it was bound by a Rail Road Right of Way, a City Power Plant and a FEMA floodplain. It was also required that a Conditional Letter of Map Revision by Fill (CLOMR-F) be filed to FEMA. That means that the land being developed will be filled in to the point where it is no longer at an elevation that is within the flood-plain, and therefore the FEMA flood-plain map required revision and development was permissable on that land.
At the end of the day, the project was an excellent example of utilizing space in the best possible manner; as it combines lush, strategically placed greenery that disguises the drainage ponds, extravagant buildings, an incredibley efficient round-about intersection, wonderful vehicular and pedestrian connectivity, and was permitted and constructed in a former flood zone. Today, this project is a focal point of tourism for the City of Austin, as it connects to Austin's only pedestrian bridge over the Colorado River (affectionately known to the local population as Lady Bird Lake in Austin). This is an area that is also highly traveled as it is a core part of the Music and Film festivals held in Austin every year.
