Pyramid Contractors Inc. Helps Kansas Build Roads for Future

According to the 2000 United States Census, Johnson County, KS, is the second largest county in the state by population, totaling 451,086. The county is first in growth, showing an increase of 27.1 percent between 1990 and 2000, compared to a statewide growth of 8.5 percent.

To accommodate this growth, the Johnson County government has developed an extensive transportation plan to keep pace with the corresponding needs of a growing community. The Comprehensive Arterial Road Network Plan (CARNP) is Johnson County Public Work’s blueprint for defining future transportation needs and strategies to protect future roadway corridors.

Designed to accommodate existing infrastructure, CARNP makes every effort to minimize the impact on surrounding areas. All land and right-of-way is preserved by the county before a project is developed, thus minimizing overall impact and allowing residents to make informed decisions when buying and selling property.

Major county roadways in southern and western Johnson County have been categorized in the CARNP plan. Roadway upgrades have been divided into four classifications based on various criteria, such as anticipated traffic volumes, and urban or rural locations. These categories are titled minor, major, parkway and highway.

Included in the CARNP upgrades is the improvement to 179th Street in southern Johnson County. In the spring 2001, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) awarded the winning bid to improve 179th Street to Pyramid Contractors Inc. of Olathe, KS. Pyramid’s bid totaled more than $2.7 million.

As a part of the CARNP program, Johnson County Public Works provided all design work and right-of-way acquisition. The right-of-way for 179th Street was expanded to 120 ft. (36.6 m) to accommodate any future roadway expansion. Johnson County will provide 20 percent of the funding for the project.

The project is 1.33 mi. (2.14 km) in length. Pyramid will move 67,155 cu. yd. (51,344 cu m) of material on site, of which is mostly rock. Additionally, Pyramid will transport an additional 24,002 cu. yd. (18,351 cu m) of material from off-site to complete the contract requirements.

Gavin Barmby, president of Pyramid Contractors Inc., said that the 179th Street project is pretty straightforward. “Our only obstacle right now is the weather and we’re working eight to ten hour shifts to keep on schedule,” he said.

Barmby also stated that the urban setting of the project prevents them from blasting the rock, thus Pyramid uses a Komatsu PC300 with a hydraulic hammer to reduce the material. Two articulated trucks will provide most of the material moving needs for the project.

179th Street has an existing bridge that will be removed and replaced with a continuous reinforced concrete haunched slab span. The new span will measure 54.1 by 72.2 by 54.1 ft. (16.5 by 22 by 16.5 m). The company will drive 729 ft. (222.2 m) of pile steel to support the structure. The project also calls for the installation of 6,702 lb. (3,040 kg) of reinforcing steel and 252,094 lb. (114,350 kg) of epoxy type reinforcement steel.

The roadway subgrade will be stabilized with 38,256 sq. yd. (31,987 sq m) of fly ash manipulation. Superior Bowen Asphalt Co. of Kansas City, MO, will handle asphalt work, laying 12,298 tons (11,068 t) of aggregate bituminous base and 740 tons (666 t) of asphalt cement.

The other subcontractors on the project are Twin Traffic of Kansas City, MO, which will provide the pavement striping; and Gun-Ko Control Inc. of Olathe, KS, which will provide the barricades, traffic and construction signage.

This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.