The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) selected Murraysmith to lead the design and construction administration of this legislatively mandated safety project. To help prevent serious injury and fatal cross-over crashes along portions of I-84, the project includes nearly 70 miles of median cable barrier along with guardrail upgrades and associated grading.
The greatest challenge was managing the logistics of a project spanning more than 270 miles with 16 individual locations—all within a 10-month timeline. The team applied consistent and strategic project labeling throughout the plans, specifications, and files for ease of navigation, and imported the design into Google Earth to assist ODOT with plan and constructability reviews. Due to project length, the team was required to coordinate with four separate ODOT district maintenance offices and 70 utility providers. Utility providers were notified early in design, and the team kept an organized communication log to track coordination efforts.
Cable barrier projects may appear simple, but there were several important factors the team addressed to develop a successful design. Median grading, for example, was designed to meet the maximum slopes required by cable barrier manufacturers, and culvert extensions and sloped end treatments were designed to accommodate new grading. The team also conducted extensive survey monument recovery and replacement, developed end connection design for each barrier segment, and integrated improvements for 16 variable-message sign maintenance pads.
To provide ODOT with capacity and local management, Murraysmith blended its local Boise team with design resources out of its Portland and Eugene offices. Through the use of virtual meetings, screen sharing, and coordinated field visits, the team met all key milestone dates and delivered this project under budget.
Project Highlights
- Nearly 70 miles of median cable barrier installation within a 277-mile project corridor
- Median grading met maximum slopes as required by cable barrier manufacturer
- Comprehensive stakeholder outreach with four ODOT district maintenance offices
- Coordination with more than 70 utility providers
- Improvements to 16 VMS/VSL maintenance pads
- Stormwater management improvements including culvert extensions and sloped end treatments
- Extensive survey monument recovery and replacement
