UTAH STATE EDITION
A Supplement to:
®
July 17 2022 Vol. VII • No. 15
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Utah Connection – Sharon Swanson – 1-760-518-4336 – sswanson@cegltd.com
Big-D Construction, Kitchel Finish $1 Billion Prison Project Work has wrapped up on the new Utah State Correction Facility (USCF), the largest construction project ever undertaken by the state of Utah. The Utah State Prison Relocation project, comprised of 35 buildings and 1.35 million sq. ft. of operational space on approximately 172 acres of land, will house up to 3,600 inmates by the end of the summer. The total cost of the facility, including infrastructure, is approximately $1.05 billion. State leaders celebrated on June 22 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the end of a long, 6-year process that was filled with debates about costs and location. A joint venture between contractors Big-D Construction and Kitchell CEM (BDK), the USCF is one of the largest construction projects in the state’s history. The project also is among the largest detention projects in the U.S. “This facility will provide a safe and secure environment conducive to recovery and rehabilitation for up to 3,600 inmates,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “It will also give our Corrections employees the space they need to do their difficult jobs. We applaud the hard work of so many who made this achievement possible.” For the last six years, the joint venture served as the program manager consultant for the Utah State Prison Relocation project. On June 22, Gov. Cox cut the ribbon for the new USCF along with other stakeholders, marking the project’s substantial completion. “Today is truly a landmark day for the Department of Corrections and the state of Utah as we celebrate the largest construction project in Utah history,” Gov Cox said. The facility is located approximately 5 mi. west of the airport. Project costs ended up ballooning to well over $1 billion because the land is near the Great Salt Lake and is soft, which required extra foundational support. Jim Russell, director of the division of facilities construction and management, said they faced a lot of obstacles get-
Service
A joint venture between Big-D Construction and Kitchell CEM (BDK), the USCF is one of the largest detention projects in the United States.
ting the new prison built, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Crews were in direct competition with the new airport for contractors and workers and had to deal with construction costs “going crazy” over the six-year period. Construction crews battled corrosive soil, buggy weather, hot summers and cold winters, on top of dealing with the pandemic and the 2020 earthquake. Approximately one year ago, plans for the old prison site would create a new “15-minute city” in Draper to replace Utah’s prison, which would include new homes, see PRISON page 6
After six years and more than $1 billion dollars, construction crews and local officials celebrated the completeion of the Utah State Prison Relocation project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Specializing in New, Used & Rebuilt Replacement Parts
• Undercarriage Parts • Field Service • Equipment Sales • Attachments • Full Service Shop • Hydraulic Cylinder Repair Service & Sales • New and Used Parts • Track Repair • Teeth & Edges We Buy Salvage Equipment Alternative to the dealer for all makes & models 6382 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84128 • www.utahtrackandwelding.com • sam@utahtrackandwelding.com
Sales
Utah Track & Welding
801-972-8939
Page 2 • July 17, 2022 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Utah State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Utah State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • July 17, 2022 • Page 3
Page 4 • July 17, 2022 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Utah State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Sunroc Completes Bluff Street Tunnel Ahead of Schedule One of St. George’s busiest stretches of road is now reopened after construction crews completed a major milestone ahead of schedule. The new pedestrian tunnel running under Bluff Street just south of the Main Street intersection is now accessible to residents after considerable construction was completed. Valued at approximately $3 million, the whole project is scheduled to be completed in September, but UDOT and its crews aimed to get the part with the heaviest impact on traffic out of the way first — the tunnel — and that is exactly what happened, according to UDOT officials. The tunnel connects the east and west sides of the Hilton Drive Trail and provides a way for pedestrians and cyclists to safely bypass the increasingly busy Main-Bluff Street intersection. In addition to the safety aspect of the project, it also will increase the connectivity of the trail system in that part of the city. Officials closed the roadway on June 13 so crews could start excavation work. “Essentially this project improves safety, connects communities and gives people another active transportation option — and those are three things that are important to UDOT,” said UDOT Spokesman Mitchell Shaw. The project is being facilitated by the Utah Department of Transportation and the city of St. George. Both city and state road officials said the project is intended to help improve pedestrian safety and congestion at the busy intersection of Main Street and Bluff Street. “We are very happy with the progress on this project and for what it will mean for the community once it’s finished,” said Shaw. “It’s scheduled to be complete by the end of this year, likely sometime in the fall. The work has been done in conjunction with the city of St. George, and includes a pedestrian tunnel that will run under Bluff Street between Main Street and the I-15 southbound
Crews from Sunroc Corporation began work on a pedestrian bridge under Bluff Street just south of the Main Street intersection in June and completed this portion of the project earlier than expected.
Crews install the pedestrian tunnel under Bluff Street.
A map detailing the general location of the new tunnel running under south Bluff Street.
The tunnel project originally was supposed to start in December 2021, but due to supply chain problems, key components needed for the tunnel did not arrive on time.
ramps. The tunnel will connect the east and west sides of the Hilton Drive Trail, giving users a safe connection across Bluff Street, avoiding the busy Main Street traffic signal.” The tunnel was constructed near the site of an auto-pedestrian crash during this year’s Ironman World Championships, where a person was struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross at least six lanes of traffic at night. “We’re hoping this will be a win-win,” Kevin Kitchen, a UDOT spokesman, told St. George News. The tunnel project originally was supposed to start in December 2021, but due to supply chain problems, key components needed for the tunnel did not arrive on time, Officials closed the roadway on June 13 so crews could start according to UDOT officials. (All photos courtesy of UDOT.) excavation work.
Construction Equipment Guide • Utah State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • July 17, 2022 • Page 5
Approval of Uinta Railway Will Increase Oil Production The U.S. Forest Service has rejected challenges to the Uinta Basin Railway, saying the project is in the public interest even as it predicts the oil railway could increase climate pollution in the U.S. by nearly 1 percent. The recent Forest Service action directs the Ashley National Forest in Utah to approve a right-of-way for the proposed railway to go through protected roadless lands. Once the right-of-way is issued, railway construction could begin next year. The Uinta Basin Railway is expected to quadruple oil production in Utah’s Uinta Basin by linking its oil fields to national rail networks. Most of the crude will travel through the Colorado Rockies for 200 mi. to Gulf Coast refineries. The railway will spur an increase of up to 350,000 barrels a day, amounting to up to 53 million tons of annual carbon pollution — as much or more than what’s produced by the nation’s three largest power plants. Sending tens of millions of barrels of crude oil each year from Utah to the Houston area for refining would be equivalent to adding a new
refinery to the region, which already exceeds national pollution standards. Most of the railway through Ashley National Forest — 12 mi. with plans for five bridges and three tunnels — would be on public lands protected by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The oil trains would increase the risk of fires and oil spills along the route through Colorado, including the vulnerable Colorado River corridor. Some, however, are opposed to the ruling. “This decision allows for pollutive activities to expand into an area that’s protecting an ecosystem critical to public and environmental health,” said Carly Ferro, Utah Sierra Club director. “It is an egregious decision that exacerbates climate change instead of addressing the impacts we’re feeling right here at home. We will stay resilient in the face of the increasingly devastating consequences of the climate and extinction crises by fighting this project.” The Forest Service’s action comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Court limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate power plant pollution.
Page 6 • July 17, 2022 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Utah State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
State Prison Opens After Six Years of Planning, Building PRISON from page 1
trails, open spaces and parks along portions of the Jordan River. “The old prison site will be one that will bless the finances of this state for many, many years in the future,” said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, who cochaired the Prison Relocation Commission. Construction Project Manager Michael Ambre is pleased with what the project represents for the community. “This project is the largest detention project in the nation,” said Ambre. “Detention facilities are never a popular project to build, but because of the planning and long-term goals to reduce recidivism, this facility will have a massive impact on this state for generations to come.” According to Ambre, installing prefabricated cells one at a time proved to be an effective approach in building the new prison. “Anytime you can prefabricate building materials, both quality and schedule improve,” he said. “Imagine three or four different subcontractors needed in an 8-ft. x 10-ft. space to finish the
space. In a prefabricated scenario, all finishes are done in an assembly line fashion, then shipped fully fitted out to be picked and set.” The molds for the cells were transported to Utah from the eastern states to the Oldcastle/Amcor precast plant in Ogden. “They are cast in the molds and completely finished inside before they are shipped to the site,” Ambre said. “A two-cell unit is loaded, one per truck, at a weight of 66,000-plus pounds. They are escorted up the highway during restricted hours of the day." At the time, crews used a 350-ton crane for installation, with a short boom to maximize the capacity. The process is comparable to stacking Legos. “They literally stack the second level on top of the lower level cells,” said Ambre. “They are pinned together with a structural connection.” The majority of big concrete pours were large mat footings on which to set the cells. Each was more than 400 cu. yds. (All photos courtesy of Jake Njord.)
Challenges included corrosive soil, buggy weather, hot summers and cold winters, on top of dealing with the pandemic and the 2020 earthquake.
This project marked the largest detention project in the nation.
The USCF will be occupied by 3,600 inmates by the end of this summer.
The new facility consists of 35 buildings and 1.35 million sq. ft. of operational space on approximately 172 acres of land.
The facility is located approximately 5 mi. west of the airport.
Construction Equipment Guide • Utah State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • July 17, 2022 • Page 7
NO HA HASSLES SS ES. NO H HIDDE IDDEN COSTS O S. NO O KIDDIN KID NG.
UTAH SALT LT LAKE CITY Y 4343 Century Dr. Salt Lake City, UTT 84123 Phone: 801-262-5761 Fax: 801-262-5780
SPRINGVILLE 1350 South 2000 West Springville, UT 84663 Phone: 801-794-1463 Fax: 801-794-1414
LOGAN 453 North 1000 West Logan, UT 84321 Phone: 435-752-1533 Fax: 435-752-5722
All rights reserved. CASE is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subbsidiaries or affiliates.
CED DAR CITY 4822 North Main Street Ceddar City, UT 84720 Phoone: 435-586-4406 Faxx: 435-586-2362 Email: del.maxedon@centuryeq.com
Page 8 • July 17, 2022 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Utah State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide