JEO Consulting Group recently received an award from the Nebraska Concrete Paving Association (NCPA) for a project we completed along North Road in Grand Island, Nebraska. Presented in the Municipal Streets category, the award was part of the 2022 Excellence in Concrete Pavement Awards that honor the best concrete pavement projects and encourage high-quality workmanship.

The City of Grand Island selected JEO to provide design engineering and construction engineering services for the North Road project. Due to increased subdivision development in the area, this one-mile stretch of North Road needed to be transformed from a rural, two-lane asphalt road into a three-lane urban concrete street. The project’s scope included widening the roadway to allow for the addition of a center turn lane for enhanced safety; improving intersections, drainage, and sidewalks; installing curbs and a roundabout; and reconstructing an existing bike trail crossing to include a pedestrian island for safety measures. We also provided other project services, including water main design, storm water evaluation, bid phase services, and community engagement.

The team knew the project would face numerous challenges along the way, so detailed coordination and communication with key players was essential. Numerous residences and a nearby preschool needed continuous access. Additionally, the project’s roundabout faced a strict timeline as it sits at an intersection that provides primary access to an elementary school, requiring it to be completed before school resumed in the fall. The project corridor was only open to local traffic during construction, requiring nearly 6,000 vehicles a day to detour onto a nearby highway and other major streets around the project footprint. Technical elements caused other complexities, but the team took it in stride, coming up with solutions that kept the project moving forward.

In the end, the paving was open to traffic six months ahead of schedule.