Despite continuous rainfall recently, crews continue to make progress. One positive attribute of the rainfall is its natural way of consolidating soil as it soaks into the recently placed sandy backfill. Although the placement of backfill is tested for optimum compaction as it is placed in lifts and rolled, the rainfall can assist in this process.
Along the south side of President Street, backfill has been placed and is awaiting mobilization of the wick drain installation crew. Areas of General McIntosh Boulevard still require additional backfill placement to meet subgrade and wick drain installation elevations, but this material can only be placed at a controlled rate to prevent sudden movement of the poor underlying soils (mud wave). Crews plan to place an additional two feet of material in these areas next week as they build up to wick drain installation elevations.
Along the new section of Congress Street and General McIntosh Boulevard intersection, curb and gutter has been staked, formed, and poured. Crews hope to continue construction of this intersection and roadway by placing stone (or graded aggregate base, GAB) for the road bed base next week.
Jack and bore of steel casings underneath the railroad tracks and future Bilbo Canal, just south of President Street and west of Truman Parkway continues. The 36” diameter steel casing for the 24” diameter water main is currently being bored underneath the railroad and future Bilbo Canal. Once this casing is complete, the casing for the 24” diameter sewer force main will be bored, and then the casing for the 12” high pressure gas main.
Construction of the Bilbo Canal and President Street bridge over the future canal continues. Following the installation of approximately 42’ of new concrete canal wall, crews have driven steel H-piles for the concrete footer of another section of concrete canal wall. Once this additional section of western canal wall is formed and poured, crews will move to the future eastern side of the Bilbo Canal to build adjacent canal walls.
