BergerWorld: 3rd Quarter 2004

Massachusetts

Route 128/I-95

Route 128/I-95 provides a critical bypass around Boston and offers access to many of America's leading high-tech research institutions and businesses. As a result, 128/I-95 is the most heavily traveled highway in Massachusetts, accommodating 200,000 vehicles in a single day. Most of the highway is an eight-lane urban interstate, except for the 14-mile section between Randolph and Wellesley with only three lanes in each direction. To meet increasing traffic demands, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) permitted the breakdown lanes of the highway to be used during peak traffic periods. But these conditions were not ideal, and MassHighway instituted a $150 million program to widen the existing roadway to eight lanes and upgrade 12 interchanges and 22 bridges.

The Berger Group was selected to prepare preliminary and final designs for the section between Dedham and Needham. Because of the high traffic in this area, MassHighway requested that all six lanes of traffic remain open during the morning and afternoon rush hours. To meet these challenging parameters, the Team developed various temporary roadway alignments that accommodated traffic during construction without splitting lanes of traffic or using contra-flow lanes.

Berger is reviewing the geometry of three interchanges and identifying the changes needed to accommodate a fourth lane. The Team is also evaluating seven bridge crossings in the area and preparing recommendations for replacement designs. The Team is fast-tracking the bridge designs to allow contractors to start work on the bridges before highway construction begins.

New Mexico

Santa Fe to Pojoaque

Traffic on US 84/285 from Santa Fe to Pojoaque has become increasingly congested. The road, which travels through some of New Mexico's most breathtaking countryside, links Santa Fe with the research center at Los Alamos and provides access to popular local attractions, including the Santa Fe Opera, a traditional market and several Indian pueblos. The highway has also become increasingly dangerous, as slow moving vehicles from more than 90 driveways merge into high speed traffic.

To improve safety and reduce travel times, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (DOT) and the FHA undertook a four-year, $75 million project to redesign and upgrade US 84/285. Berger was awarded the design of the northern section between Tesuque and Pojoaque pueblos, through the traditional community of Cuyamungue. The Team conducted an initial corridor study to identify alternative alignments and ways to best accommodate traffic during construction and prepared a comprehensive environmental impact statement. The Team also worked with individual property owners to identify and resolve potential concerns, including property access, fencing and drainage. Berger then conducted a thorough constructability review of the preliminary designs to reduce construction times and costs and improve the overall design. Berger's final plans included two interchanges with cast-in-place concrete bridges, mainline freeway and frontage roads to control access and colorful artwork designed by local tribal members.

New Jersey

• Atlantic City • Carneys Point • Elizabeth • Somerset • Trenton •

The Berger Group has also worked extensively in New Jersey to improve interstate and regional routes. Decreasing congestion for the 50,000 drivers who use the southern entrance of the New Jersey Turnpike each day has been a high priority for the NJ Turnpike Authority. As part of a $45 million initiative, the Berger Group was selected to design and supervise the construction of a new Turnpike interchange near Carneys Point.

Berger conducted extensive traffic studies to determine the average and peak capacity of the interchange and analyzed alternate locations for an expanded toll plaza. The Team selected a location at milepost 2.4, three miles south of the previous complex for an expanded interchange with 16 exit and seven entry toll lanes and two high-speed electronic toll collection lanes in each direction.

Because of the volume of traffic on the Turnpike, the Team developed a detailed traffic control plan. The plan included the construction of 16 exit lanes in two stages, while channeling traffic onto a specially constructed four-lane detour roadway. Once the electronic toll lanes were completed, Berger rerouted traffic to these lanes while the expansion was completed. This new toll plaza features unique architecture, including a lighthouse and a reflecting pool, designed to welcome visitors to New Jersey while reducing wait times at toll booths.

The 44-mile Atlantic City Expressway extends from the outskirts of Philadelphia to Atlantic City, providing thousands of tourists with a direct link to the casinos, hotels and beaches of the Jersey shore. To accommodate the growing number of visitors, the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) widened sections of the expressway to three lanes in each direction.

As part of this ambitious project, Ammann & Whitney, in collaboration with the Berger Group, was selected to prepare preliminary and final designs for the widening of three miles of expressway, including the nine-span McGahn Bridge over Beach Thorofare. The assignment included 300 construction contract drawings; supporting ITS, electrical and drainage designs; and assistance in obtaining several major permits. During the design and construction stages, the Team coordinated efforts with the ongoing expansion of the Atlantic City/Brigantine Connector and the Atlantic City Visitor's Center.

Because the Atlantic City Expressway is a toll route, customer satisfaction throughout construction was a focus of the SJTA and the Team. Since most of the new construction activity was in the median, the Team used existing lanes and shoulders to ensure an efficient traffic flow.

Berger is also upgrading several sections of US Route 1, one of the nation's oldest highways. In Elizabeth, NJ, Berger was selected to upgrade the intersection of Routes 1 and 9 (1/9) and North Avenue, a busy local road serving more than 110,000 vehicles per day. This intersection ranked as one of the five worst in New Jersey in terms of accident frequency and severity.

Before the start of the project, cars traveling southbound on Routes 1/9 had to turn onto Louisa Street and wait at a traffic signal before merging onto North Avenue or Routes 1/9 North. Louisa Street provided only 33 feet of storage for traffic and vehicles trying to turn frequently backed up onto the main roadway. Congestion was equally severe for northbound traffic, causing backups on both North Avenue and Routes 1/9.

Because of the high density of commercial properties in the area, the Team faced the challenge of selecting a route which would cause the least disruption to local businesses. Following extensive analyses of alternatives, Berger redesigned the jug handles crossing Routes 1/9 and added a loop ramp to improve traffic flow. Since the new designs limited access to a shopping mall, auto auction and an open tract of land, the Team also designed new entryways and traffic patterns to improve access to these sites. In addition to improving traffic flow and reducing accidents, the new designs allowed engineers to close Louisa Street and integrate it with an existing island to form an attractive park.

To accommodate growing interstate traffic, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is expanding capacity on several key routes linking New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As part of this program, the Berger Group was selected to prepare feasibility studies and preliminary and final designs to rehabilitate and widen the Route 1 Bridge across the Delaware River and the approach routes and interchanges serving this crossing.

Based on the information from previous traffic assessments performed by Berger, the Team will prepare designs for the widening of the Route 1 Bridge and 10 approach structures, including interchanges at Pennsylvania Avenue in Morrisville, PA, and Route 29 in Trenton, NJ. These new designs will significantly improve safety by expanding the capacity of the acceleration/ deceleration ramps and main bridge on this critical interstate route.

Somerset is the fastest growing county in New Jersey. Increasing development along the county's Chimney Rock Road, including several shopping centers, restaurants, a community center and a minor league ballpark, have created frequent traffic backups and safety concerns. This route also provides an important link between Route 22 and Route 28, but lacks a full interchange, forcing cars exiting Route 22 West to merge onto Chimney Rock Road North, while traffic on Route 22 East must merge south. To create a full interchange and reduce congestion, Berger analyzed regional growth trends, current traffic patterns and geometric constraints before conducting feasibility studies and evaluating alternative scenarios. Based on the results of these studies, Berger selected and prepared preliminary designs for an improved interchange at Route 22 and Chimney Rock Road. In addition to upgrading the interchange at Route 22, Berger's designs will also improve safety along several ramps connecting Chimney Rock Road to I-278.