Iowa Highway 100 Perpetual Pavement is a Media Darling
On a beautiful September day, the APAI and the LL
Pelling Co., Inc. hosted an open house for the Highway 100 Perpetual Pavement project that will eventually create the Cedar Rapids by-pass that has been in the works for over 30 years. The Open House was attended by over 60 IDOT, City, County and Local officials; APAI contractors and members; and local media all looking for a first glimpse at this magnificent project. John Vu, District 6 Engineer and Roger Boulet, District 6 Material Engineer, talked about the construction of the project and the full-depth asphalt projects that had been paved prior to Highway 100. Bill Rosener, Executive Vice President of the APAI discussed the Perpetual Asphalt Design of 12.5” that will carry the traffic on this stretch of highway for over 60 years, or more, with only period milling and resurfacing.
Chuck Finnegan, President and Joel Gryp, General Manager of the LL Pelling Co., talked about the initial savings the IDOT saw with bids coming in $5M, and 25%, below the engineers’ estimate of $20M. The project’s sustainability included the use of over 15,000 tons of recycled asphalt. Mr. Gryp also mentioned the IDOT technical initiatives that were added to the project including: E-Ticketing, Infra-Red (IR) Bar Segregation Testing and Intelligent Compaction for the rollers.
The project was progressing ahead of schedule and all signs point to the project being open around the first of December. The local TV stations were in attendance due to the importance of the highway to the progress of Cedar Rapids. Their coverage can be found by clicking here. “This is a project that will serve the citizens of Cedar Rapids and Linn County for many decades.” said Rosener, “The partnership that designed and built this beautiful, smooth project is a testament to both the IDOT and the Iowa’s Asphalt Industry.”
Click here to view gallery of this ground breaking project.