Arkansas Paves the Way to Smoother Roads
Under an ambitious $1 billion Interstate rehabilitation program,
the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) will
rubblize 444 km (276 mi) of concrete roads and overlay them with a
Superpave mix by 2005. As part of the program, which began in 2000,
102 km (64 mi) of existing asphalt pavement will also be overlaid
and 64 km (40 miles) of portland cement concrete (PCC) will be completely
reconstructed.
Prior to the start of the project, 60 percent, or 611 km (380 mi),
of Arkansas's Interstate System had been rated in fair to poor condition
and in serious need of rehabilitation.
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Participants in the Arkansas
Interstate Rubblization and Rehabilitation Showcase were given
a field visit to two construction sites on I-40
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To give State and Federal highway officials, contractors, industry
personnel, and others a first-hand look at the project, AHTD, the
Arkansas Asphalt Pavement Association, and the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) hosted an Arkansas Interstate Rubblization and Rehabilitation
Showcase in June 2001. Approximately 240 participants from 17 States
attended a seminar on the program at Arkansas Tech University and
then were given a field visit to two construction sites on I-40 near
Russellville, Arkansas. "The feedback from the showcase was very
positive. We had a lot of participants requesting information on the
project," says Lester Frank of FHWA.
Rubblization and overlay is a concrete pavement rehabilitation technique
that prevents reflection cracking and provides a solid base for the
new pavement. A breaker
machine is applied to the concrete pavement, with the pavement being
broken into small pieces at the top and larger pieces at the bottom.
The rubblized pavement is compacted using vibratory rollers. Hot-mix
asphalt (HMA) is then laid over this base. Breaking the concrete helps
to ensure that joints, cracks, and other defects will not reflect
through the overlay and affect performance. The process also saves
time and resources, as the rubblized roadbed does not have to be trucked
away as waste. The new pavement is being designed with a 20-year design
life based on the 1993 American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials Pavement Design Guide.
An important consideration when rubblizing pavements is pavement drainage.
AHTD installed edge drains before the rubblization work to drain water
brought up through the soil. This drainage is critical to the future
performance of the pavement.
According
to Phil McConnell, head of the Division of Roadway Design at AHTD,
the cost of the rubblization and overlay work is $2.2 million per
mile. The average work time is about one lane mile per day. The rehabilitation
work is being financed by a combination of Grant Anticipation Revenue
Vehicle (GARVEE) bonds and a 4-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel. The
12-year GARVEE bonds will be paid off primarily from future Federal
Aid for Interstate maintenance.
To ease traffic congestion in urban areas, much of the rehabilitation
work is being done at night. An innovative safety technique known
as the "Merge Left" policy has also contributed to keeping
a steady flow of traffic through the work zones. All of the work zones
begin by having traffic merge to the left lane. Signs then direct
motorists through the work zone. "People now know what to expect
and are merging earlier, helping to maximize travel through the work
zones," says Farrell Wilson of AHTD. Equally innovative has been
a public awareness campaign, known as "Pave the Way," that
has kept motorists up to date on the program.
For more information on the Arkansas rubblization project, contact
Ralph Hall, Assistant Chief Engineer of Operations at AHTD, 501-569-2221
(email: ralph.hall@ahtd.state.ar.us).
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Since the Arkansas Interstate rehabilitation program began in 2000,
motorists have been reminded to "Think Ahead" as they navigate
the many miles of work zones. A public information campaign dubbed
"Pave the Way" is making this navigation easier by publicizing
the rehabilitation work and providing resources to motorists to help
them plan ahead for the construction. The campaign includes such features
as public service announcements, printed brochures and posters, a
monthly newsletter with construction updates and progress reports,
highway advisory radio broadcasts, and variable message signs near
work zones that display real-time information. A comprehensive Web
site (www.ArkansasInterstates.com)
also provides up-to-date information for motorists. "We try to
provide as much information in as many ways as possible," says
Farrell Wilson of AHTD. "We find that people now understand the
program better and have a more positive attitude about the construction."
For more information on "Pave the Way," contact Wilson at
501-569-2326 (email: farrell.wilson@ahtd.state.ar.us).
Other
articles in this issue:
DataPave 3.0: Your ticket to pavement performance
data
Arkansas
paves the way to smoother roads
Conference
features concrete solutions for a new century
Saving Superpave
September
11 and Beyond: Highway Agencies Respond to Keep America Mobile and
Secure
Highway
technology calendar
International
congress to examine new challenges for winter road maintenance
