Wick
Drain installations were completed this week on the south side of President
Street and along a new section of General McIntosh Boulevard. Now that
wick drains have been installed, crews have begun to place an additional
one foot of course sand over the ends of the wick drains, and will continue
with an additional five foot of surcharge backfill material on top of
that. The one foot of course sand material placed prior to wick drain
installation, and additional one foot of course sand following wick drain
installation will allow the deep underlying ground moisture to wick up to the
surface and out of the backfill material, relieving deep underlying soil pore
pressure and allowing those underlying soils to consolidate. This process
will continue for an estimated approximately six months. During that
time, the underlying soils are predicted to consolidate to a degree which
allows for the surface backfill material to settle up to one and a half feet in
some areas. This process will establish the future adequate foundation
necessary for the proposed installation of utility line infrastructure,
roadway, and other surface improvements.
Along
the new section of Congress Street at General McIntosh Boulevard, crews have
installed installed sidewalks, driveways, and ADA compliant handicap ramps. The
initial base layer of asphalt will be paved in the next week or two.
Pavement installation is very dependent on weather conditions.
Temperature, absence of rainfall, and proper moisture content of subgrade
materials are very important for proper paving conditions. These
conditions will continue to be monitored to determine when paving may occur.
Crews
continue to jack and bore steel casings underneath the railroad tracks and
future Bilbo Canal, just south of President Street and west of Truman
Parkway. As precise and tedious of a process this is to start with,
performing these bores in a twenty plus foot deep excavation within an already
low lying area with high ground water (surface water at times) is
difficult. Despite the difficult conditions, the initial 36” steel casing
has been completed and the second 36” steel casing installation has begun.
Construction continues on the new reinforced concrete Bilbo
Canal walls. A significant section of the western wall was completed last
week, and this week crews have begun preparations necessary to begin
installation of the eastern canal wall. The canal walls will provide for
a future 90’ wide open channel canal. An additional 20’ wide maintenance
corridor will be established on either side of the future canal.
