The Crosstown Parkway Extension Design-Build provides a new bridge crossing over the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, connecting the existing Crosstown Parkway from Manth Lane to US-1. The corridor included 1.5 miles of roadway improvements and a 4,032-foot- long bridge, a long-awaited third river crossing and a critical hurricane evacuation route.
The bridge traverses a highly environmentally sensitive area, which required the minimization of wetland impacts and protection of Savannas Preserve State Park. The project includes a new waterfront that provides a trailhead to the Crosstown Parkway sidewalks and an ADA-accessible canoe launch. Design-build made this project happen, as funding was in jeopardy if it was not let for construction in time. Innovations through design-build allowed for true best value, including the addition of Pineapple Snook Plaza without exceeding the original budget. The team employed a partnering spirit throughout, making the city’s dream project a reality.
Design-Build Helps Connect Communities
The benefits of the Crosstown Parkway Extension project can be categorized into three areas: safety, aesthetics, and functionality. Safety – Port St. Lucie is a coastal community. Before this project, only two existing evacuation routes crossed the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, providing for the evacuation of residents in the case of a hurricane event. A third east-west connection to US 1 was essential for public safety, mobility, and access to businesses.
Aesthetics – The City and design-build team saw the project as a way of connecting two segments of the city and providing access to new waterfront areas, adding a waterfront park, trailhead, canoe launch, art features, bike lanes, and making the corridor a walkable scenic area that would be used and enjoyed by the residents. Design-build innovation delivered these additions successfully.
Functionality – The best-value design-build approach allowed the team to focus on providing the greatest value to the City related to the function of the roadway and bridge. The team’s ability to perform the basic project at a price nearly $15M below the City’s budget allowed for the addition of community features that significantly enhanced the corridor and provided value to the residents.
Design-Build Team
| Client/Owner: | City of Port St. Lucie Public Works Department |
| Design-Build Firm: | Archer Western Contractors, LLC |
| Architect & Engineer: | RS&H, Inc. |
| Specialty Contractors: | Felix Associates of Florida, Inc., INTERA Incorporated, Progressive Design and Engineering, Ranger Construction Industries, Inc., Universal Engineering Sciences |
| Owner Advisor: | American Consulting Professionals, LLC |
| Construction Duration: | 31 Months |
| Project Cost: | $91,525,607.00 |