American Public Works Association Honors $2.3 Million Reconstruction Project with 2015 Transportation Award

ERIE COUNTY, NY— The Erie County Department of Public Works (“DPW”) was honored recently by the NYS Chapter of the American Public Works Association (“APWA”) with a 2015 Transportation Award for the Hopkins Road Slope Stabilization and Road Reconstruction Project, a $2.3 million project completed in three phases and funded fully with local Erie County funds. The project focused on the area along Ransom Creek between Smith Road and Tonawanda Creek road, which had experienced excessive settlement and slope failure between the center of the roadway and the edge of the creek, forcing the closure of Hopkins’ southbound lane in five separate locations. The completed project brought Hopkins road back into service on a stable foundation with improved drainage to prevent future slope failures.

“The Hopkins Road Project involved not only road reconstruction but slope stabilization and drainage improvements to prevent such road failure in the future. This much-needed project is a significant investment in 

Erie County’s infrastructure and improves Hopkins Road to its best condition ever,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Close cooperation between the Department of Public Works, their consultants and contractor, utilities, and local residents resulted in a realigned roadway that meets current design standards, and I thank all involved for their work on this award-winning project.”

Poor soil conditions and road way drainage contributed to the slope failures along Hopkins Road. To bring the road back into service, the subgrade needed to be stabilized and the roadway reconstructed. The soil stabilization involved dry cement soil mixing to create soil-cement columns, a mixing operation that involved drilling into the soil and injecting dry cement. A total of 792 such columns were installed for the entire project. Slopes were also reconstructed and stabilized, and the roadway adjacent to the slope failures was realigned and fully reconstructed. Storm drainage along Hopkins Road was improved through the placement of perforated drainage pipe and drainage inlets along the east side of the roadway to gather water and convey it to the creek before it infiltrates the roadway subgrade and causes another failure. Perforated pipe was also installed along the north side of Smith Road.

The first phase of the project involved drainage improvements along Hopkins and Smith Roads, while the second phase stabilized the slopes and reconstructed the roadway. The third phase consisted of mill and overlay, shoulder widening, placement of the final layer of asphalt concrete, and installation of a reconstructed guide rail. The full width of the roadway was opened to traffic on June 17, 2015.

For more information:

On the Erie County Department of Public Works, visit http://www2.erie.gov/dpw/