Photo Credit: Skanska-Ames a Joint Venture
The Riverside County Transportation Commission’s (RCTC) I-15 Express Lanes Design-Build Project was designed and constructed by a Skanska-led joint venture consisting of Skanska as managing partner and Ames Construction as civil general contractor. Our team also included lead designer AZTEC. The project consisted of the design and construction of two tolled express lanes in each direction of Interstate 15 (I-15) for 15 miles from Cajalco Road to State Route 60 through the cities of Jurupa Valley, Eastvale, Norco and Corona in Riverside County. Other work consisted of drainage improvements, signage and toll system infrastructure including power and communication conduits, power supply to the tolling gantries and signs, structures for future tolling equipment and equipment cabinet pads.
Over the course of the project, Skanska Ames placed 185,000 cubic yards of concrete paving over 60 lane miles of roadway, 26,000-tons of HMA paving and 62,000-linear-feet of barrier rail. Twenty bridges were widened to the inside, outside or median, which included 16,000 linear feet of CIDH pile 16” to 72” in diameter. Over 100,000 sq. ft. of masonry block sound walls were constructed, providing noise attenuation for nearby residents. Nine retaining walls were installed.
Design-Build Fosters Trust and Delivers Innovations
During the procurement phase, the Skanska Ames design-build joint venture team and lead designer AZTEC co-located for eight months to respond to the RFP. Functioning with a true “one team” mentality fostered a level of trust between RCTC and the design-builder, Skanska Ames, which allowed the team to add functionality and compatibility to the project through Owner-directed change orders. Together, the team developed multiple innovations that solved key challenges related to maintenance of traffic and environmental commitments at the highly sensitive Santa Ana River Basin. At the end of the project, RCTC’s toll project manager wrote that Skanska Ames “brought their A-team to this project, providing significant innovations and commitments that were not only in their proposal, but that were also implemented.”
Design-Build Team
| Client/Owner: | Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and California Department of Transportation |
| Design-Build Firm: | Skanska-Ames a Joint Venture |
| General Contractor: | Skanska-Ames a Joint Venture |
| Engineer: | AZTEC Engineering Group, Inc. |
| Specialty Contractors: | NCM Engineering Corporation |
| Owner Advisor: | Parsons Transportation Group |
| Construction Duration: | 37 Months |
| Project Cost: | $280.1 Million |
