On Ancestral Roads
Dallas, United States
North Tarrant ExpressLike so many highways in the United States, the North Tarrant Express follows much older paths. It emerged from reconstructing Interstate 820, thus partially replacing US 80 and the Dixie Overland Highway. The latter was one of the first motor vehicle routes in the United States and the first to link the Atlantic and Pacific shores by asphalt. The North Tarrant Express also tells a story of engineering and how things have changed in just one century.
The highway was designed to improve mobility and relieve traffic in one of the country’s busiest areas. It crosses 84 bridges, 140 kilometers of prestressed concrete beams, 15,000 tons of reinforcements, and 800 million kilos of asphalt. Building it required moving six million cubic meters of soil and installing just under 60 miles of pipes and sewers.
Seen in the temporary peacefulness of night from under one of its many viaducts, with the concrete stretching out forever, the highway seems to stir memories of roads past, with a small fort on the river banks. But this scene fades shortly before dawn as one of the country’s fastest-growing regions wakes up and gets behind the wheel.
Texas, US
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9.5
miles
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$1.5B
construction value
-
2022-2027
project date
Scope of Work
The Ferrovial team, Alamo NEX Construction, was selected by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as the contractor for the I-35 NEX Central project located in San Antonio. The project consists of the design, construction, and maintenance of 22 miles of improvements along I-35. Once complete, the project will improve safety and mobility on one of the busiest highways in North America.
Project Summary
The project consists of the design, construction, and maintenance of approximately 22 miles of non-tolled improvements along I-35, including a portion of I-410 North and Loop 1604. The project scope includes 22 miles of elevated structures, eight direct connectors in two major interchanges, and the reconstruction of more than 5.5 miles of mainlanes and frontage roads. The project also includes other improvements, such as at-grade widenings of the existing roadway, full project overlay, drainage infrastructure improvements, and replacing or modifying existing structures, including retaining walls and cross streets.
Unique Project Aspects
The I-35 NEX Central Project is situated in a densely populated urban area characterized by high traffic volumes and a very limited right-of-way (ROW). The project faces unique challenges, including the construction of elevated lanes in this confined space, the relocation of numerous existing utilities, and the need to maintain TxDOT’s roadway intelligent transportation systems (ITS) while minimizing disruptions for the traveling public on an interstate highway. The delivery of over 800 bridge spans, which includes more than 4,700 concrete beams, 1,300 columns, and six million square feet of bridge decks, presents a significant challenge, particularly as it is located over one of the busiest highways in North America.
Community Benefits
It is estimated that when the Central project is complete, travel time on the existing mainlanes between the Bexar County line and Loop 410 North will be cut in half from about 20 minutes to less than 10 minutes.
Key Figures
I-35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) Central Project-
Client
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
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Location
San Antonio, TX
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Completion date
Late 2027
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Project size
Approximately 22 miles
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Contract value
$1.5 Billion
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I-66 Outside the Beltway, VA
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North Tarrant Express, TX
407 ETR
VR Highway Simulation
United States
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+2
KMs to be VR-Driven
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100.000
€ PoC Cost
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4
Managed lanes
The goal of this project is to demonstrate the applicability of VR Driving Simulation functionalities in a realistic 3D digital model of a highway environment to assess efficiencies and risks, from design reviews to stakeholder’s engagement as O&M
The “PoC VR – Highway Simulation” project falls under the umbrella of the whole-life digital asset program which the Department of Asset Management and Process Digitalization is leading within our company. The digitalization of the built asset industry represents an enormous opportunity for innovation for our infrastructure and highways projects, airports, power infrastructure and autonomous vehicles.
Project objectives
- Development of a 3D virtual model with enough realism and accuracy based on actual assets. For this project, the North Tarrant Express located in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, was modeled based on open-source information.
- Development of a Virtual Reality environment incorporating all the 3D models in which the user can immerse and drive thanks to some external equipment (steering wheel, pedals, VR glasses headset).
- Integration of an external traffic management simulator into the VR environment (Sumo).
- Design of a traffic diversion incorporated in the VR environment including impacts to traffic.
- Development of real-time functionalities to add objects to the scene to recreate different scenarios.
Value of the solution
- Knowledge transfer and skillset development within our engineering teams.
- Generation of virtual environments based on real infrastructures suitable for virtual simulations.
- Comprehension of the interactions between the user and the surrounding context of assets for data collection linking into behavioral economics initiative.
- Instantaneous adaptability to different scenarios and changing situations.
- Improved highway design and development system for better a performance and a more fitting user experience.
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Barranco de Erques Arch Viaduct
407 ETR
DYNABIC
Loop 12 Reconstruction
Irving, TX
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Length
9.6Miles -
Contract Value
$309Million -
Major Highways
4 -
New Bridges
32
Scope of Work and Project Summary
The Loop 12 project consisted of the reconstruction of State Loop 12, along with the renovation of existing interchanges between four major highways – State Loop 12, State Spur 482, State Highway 114 and 183.
The contract included renovation of the interchange and existing toll gantry, construction of 32 new bridges, walls and concrete pavement, widening of existing main lanes, and frontage roads.
The project included eleven post-tensioned straddle bent caps, and from a design standpoint, this type of bent caps helps minimize span lengths on the bridges, therefore allowing the use of concrete girders which helps to speed up the project in comparison with the use of steel girders.
Traffic congestion was very high, with capacity beyond the old cloverleaf ramps, so the new design successfully addressed this issue and provided relief of congestion in one of the busiest areas of the DFW.
Key Figures
Loop 12 Reconstruction-
Client
Texas Department of Transportation
-
Location
Irving, Texas
-
Completion date
April 2024
-
Project Size
9.6 miles
-
Contract Value
$309 million
Our Projects around the World
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LBJ Express, TX
I-77 Express Lanes, NC
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IH 35 Rehabilitation
Waco, TX
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Length
6.7Miles -
Contract Value
$341Million -
Bridges
22
Community benefits
The IH-35 Waco project included widening 6.7 miles of IH 35, a section that crosses over the Brazos River.
The highlights for the project included the construction of 22 bridges, removal of the existing concrete main lanes in both directions and the reconstruction of existing concrete frontage roads.
Webber worked closely with TxDOT, Baylor University and community stakeholders through the IH-35 Steering Committee to accomplish construction as efficiently and safely as possible during the pandemic, and through the post-COVID lockdown transition, to provide effective access to business owners and residents.
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Key Figures
IH 35 Rehabilitation Project in Waco, TX-
Client
TxDOT
-
Location
Waco, Texas
-
Completion date
2022
-
Project Size
6.7 miles
-
Contract Value
$341 million
-
Awards
Top 10 Roads & Bridges for 2023
We Build Texas Award 2023
Our Projects around the World
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LBJ Express, TX
Indiana Toll Road, IN
T2 Heathrow Airport
Renovation of the “Frontón Beti…
North Tarrant Express 35W Highway
I-35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) Central…
SH 146 Expansion
Houston, TX
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Length
4.36Miles -
Contract Value
$217.6Million -
Span bridge
116 -
Span bridge
41
Community benefits
The SH-146 Kemah Expansion project consisted of constructing a four-lane 116-span bypass express bridge around the city of Kemah and Seabrook, widening the existing 41-span bridge and adding a bike lane to this structure.
Because construction took place over the active Clear Creek Channel, signals were set up on barges that directed the marine traffic to prevent any construction hazards and maintain constant travel for the public.
With the community’s needs outgrowing the previous infrastructure, and SH-146 serving as a hurricane evacuation route for locals who live on the south side of the project, the SH-146 project provides an important travel path for many residents. This project was named “2024 ENR Best Project” in the Highway/Bridge category for Texas & Louisiana.
Photo Gallery
Key Figures
SH 146 Expansion-
Client
TxDOT
-
Location
Seabrook and Kemah, Texas
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Completion date
April 2024
-
Project Size
116-span bridge and a 41-span bridge
-
Contract Value
$217.6 million
-
Awards
2024 ENR Best Project
in the Highway/Bridge category for Texas & Louisiana
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LBJ Express, TX
North Tarrant Express 35W Highway
Indiana Toll Road, IN
T2 Heathrow Airport
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I-35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) Central…
SH 99 Grand Parkway
Houston, TX
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Lenght
52.8Miles -
Investment
$938million -
2018-2022
project date
Project Summary
Segments H and I-1 are approximately 37.5 miles of a two-lane toll facility with intermittent four-lane sections for passing.
Segment 1-2 is made up of Segments 1-2A and I-2B.
Segment I-2A consists of tolling equipment, upgrades and other improvements for approximately 8.7 miles of an existing four-lane facility from FM 1405 to Interstate 10.
Segment I-2B is approximately 6.1 miles of a new four-lane toll facility from SH 146 in Baytown to FM 1405
Unique project aspects
Provide an alternate evacuation route to help relieve congestion during emergency evacuations. Makes up approximately 25% of a 180+ mile circumferential scenic highway.
Community benefits
Improves The connectivity within the existing transportation network by providing a circumferential link between
US-59/I-69 N, IH-10 and SH 146. Reduces congestion on area roadways while providing more travels options for the motorists.
Photo Gallery
Key Figures
SH 99 Grand Parkway-
Client
Texas Department of Transportation
-
Location
Houston, TX
-
Completion date
May 2022
-
Project Size
52.8 miles
-
Contract Value
$938 million
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Traveling Through History to the Future
Dallas , United States
LBJ Expressway, TXThe Lyndon B. Johnson Expressway, known to Texans as the LBJ, is a maze of asphalt and concrete.
This galaxy of lanes and junctions intersecting at different heights, lines straight and curved, parallel and intersecting, make up one of the major traffic systems on the planet. The LBJ Express has twice the capacity of the old LBJ highway, and it is ready for Dallas’s traffic needs.
The highway crosses 90 bridges and has interchanges standing three levels high. Some 60 miles of piling and 200 of precast beams were used in its construction.
90 bridges, 62 miles of piles and 330 prefabricated beams.
The 250,000 vehicles on it every day travel on the almost 600,000 tons of pavement that make up this road, which has nine lanes each way. These nine lanes split into up to 28 lanes in some places.
This historic infrastructure will keep running well into the future.
Webber’s Heavy Civil exemplary safety programs.
City of Houston Traffic Operations Facility
Houston, Texas
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Completion
2014May
-
$8.9M
The one story replacement facility for the city of Houston’s Transportation and Traffic Operations Center include office and workshop areas, storage and warehouse space, vehicular maintenance, associated support facilities and a parking for 125 fleet vehicles. The facility also includes a specialized shop area for manufacturing traffic signs on-site and a separate metal canopy wash down area.
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