MacArthur Highway opens on Schedule

After a long season of construction, the MacArthur Highway Bridge will reopen to traffic tonight after the work day! Since closing last March, an extensive overhaul of the 1942 structure and adjacent roadways, at a $5.3 million cost, has been completed. The use by roughly 8,000 cars a day will reconnect Downtown Peoria and the West Bluff. Some landscaping work will be completed starting in the Spring of 2019.

The construction included over 5,900 square yards of concrete pavement, roughly 3,181 cubic yards of Cellular Lightweight Concrete Fill, 6,832 feet of pavement markings, 1,835 feet of Combination Curb and Gutter, and nearly 318,000 pounds of Epoxy Coated Reinforcement steel bars.

Maurer-Stutz’s role included Phase III Construction Resident Engineering for the new construction of a single span urban bridge with a cast-in-place deck on top of steel I-beams with cast-in-place arched fascia beams.andnbsp; The closed abutments were set on 16” metal shell piling and the bridge also included sidewalk and bike trail accented by a Texas rail on both sides of the bridge.andnbsp; Other features included Mechanically Stabilized Earth walls, bio-swales, and dry wells.andnbsp; Maurer-Stutz provided complete IDOT related resident engineering services including checking of layout, field inspection of all phases of demolition, pile driving, rebar and concrete placement, embankment and approach roadway construction.andnbsp; Tasks also included public awareness efforts and coordination meetings.

Curtis Lynn, PE served as the Resident Engineer. Some of his resume includes experience in on-site construction observation on IDOT, local agency and private projects including site developments, roads and bridges, power plants, parking decks, wastewater handling facilities and agricultural facilities.andnbsp; He has also worked at Maurer-Stutz in disciplines such as survey, roadway design, wastewater LTCP’s and structural design on various projects throughout Illinois. Curtis joined Maurer-Stutz in 2007.andnbsp;

Curtis was assisted by Bret Naugle, PG. Bret began his employment with Maurer-Stutz, Inc. in 2003.andnbsp; Prior to Maurer-Stutz, Bret worked for Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., which changed names throughout his employment to QST, Harding ESE, and Mactec and is now known as AMEC.andnbsp; The majority of Bret’s career has been as an Environmental Geologist conducting environmental site assessments, subsurface investigations, soil and groundwater sampling, site remediation, leaking underground storage tank and RCRA compliance services, and preparation of various environmental and engineering reports.andnbsp; In addition, Bret has experience with mold investigations, land surveying, and lead, asbestos, and radon sampling.andnbsp; While continuing to perform environmental services at Maurer-Stutz, Bret has also been involved in many livestock facility projects involving soils/geological investigations, design of livestock waste systems, permitting, and report generation.andnbsp; Over the last several years Bret has been assigned to various IDOT/transportation engineering projects including roadway improvements, replacement of interstate bridges, and bicycle trail construction to observe construction, inspect materials, and document quantities for IDOT.