PROJECTS
Wastewater, Water, Transportation, Educational, Marketing, Private, and Landscape Projects
CAMELBACK ROAD RECONSTRUCTION AND WATERLINE INSTALLATION, 43RD AVENUE - 51ST AVENUE STREET TRANSPORTATION | WATER
WATER | RECONSTRUCTION | WATERLINE | ROAD ARTERIAL | ADA
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Unknown utilities present unimaginable challenges that impact project schedules, and the YPMO team stays focused on keeping stakeholders informed of changes so their concerns are met.
This project replaced one mile of waterline beneath a major urban arterial roadway and improved travel conditions with roadway reconstruction. The scope included new sidewalks, driveways, ADA improvements, and conduit for the future installation of PHB, a flashing beacon system that allows pedestrian crossing in the middle of a block.
YPMO worked with several stakeholders, including the City, contractor, school impacted by construction, and businesses. Outreach activities included a construction hotline, postcard mailers, email communications, and one-to-one communication.
The impact to businesses was significant, especially those that had one driveway, and reduced lanes and open trenches made tight turns extremely difficult.
The YPMO team conducted several business walks to advise businesses of construction schedules, closures, and detours. The project was plagued with unknown utilitie, which made coordination with businesses extremely difficult. Still, the team stayed patient, and continued dedicated outreach to keep business owners informed of progress.
“One business owner was especially frustrated,” says Andre Salais, project manager. “I think we did a good enough job keeping them in the loop throughout the whole process so they understood what was happening. And while they weren’t happy about it, they were willing to put up with it to get through it.”
“Having the opportunity to work closely with so many different businesses was a hightlight of the project. While it was often addressing concerns and complaints, I am a strong believer in the idea that public engagement is a form of advocacy and public service,” says Salais. “I enjoyed developing working relationships with the local business community, and helping them find solutions to their concerns with the contractor and city staff.”
The original project duration was July 2019 through February 2020, and delays led to a July 2020 final completion.
OWNER
City of Glendale
PROJECT LOCATION
Camelback Road, 43rd Avenue – 51st Avenue
SERVICES
-Project Hotline
-Construction Notices
-Business Walks
-Email Updates
-PI Coordination
-Meeting Minutes
PROJECT TEAM
-Combs Construction
-Central Arizona Civil Construction
-Morrison-Maierle
DESIGN
N/A
CONSTRUCTION
N/A
THE CHALLENGE
Urban waterline and roadway projects always present safety challenges, especially when schools and businesses are impacted.
The work required significant coordination with the school to accommodate morning and afternoon drop-offs. Parents started to drop off students on the north side of the road when the south side construction was underway. The YPMO team worked with school staff to advise parents of the unsafe drop-off practices, and the contractor built a wall to guide safer street crossing.
One of the project’s biggest challenges was encountering unknown utilities that impacted the schedule and coordination, and required invasive traffic restrictions. The team stayed focused on keeping businesses informed and feeling heard.
“We walked into this project with detailed design plans and a detailed schedule,” says Salais. “And then everything that could have possibly gone wrong went wrong. From unmarked utilities to broken waterlines to uncontrollable rain events, and from equipment failures to curb damage to trucks driving through barricades. Parents dropped off kids in the middle of the road, and then the contractor built a wall to keep the kids safe.”
“The sheer volume of things that could go wrong beneath the street surface was surprising. On the positive side, the willingness of the public to understand and be receptive to good communication was remarkable. They felt like that had someone who was advocating for them,” he says.
“We learned that a lot of pain could have been avoided if the project team had a better understanding of the possibility for change, especially when underground utilities are involved.”
