The US 301 project continues to proceed with the first of the seven project phases nearing completion ahead of schedule, despite difficult weather.
The nearly 14 mile-long, $636 million super highway is divided into seven contracts that are being built concurrently.
The contracts were issued separately since few firms would have been able to handle the project and bids might have been scarce and high
R.E. Pierson Construction Company is finishing work on their 1.8-mile segment (1C) of the US 301 mainline project.
The $21,315,701.98 contract was awarded to Pierson on January 6, 2016.
“R.E. Pierson Construction is very proud of our section of the new 301 alignment. Thanks to the collective effort of our project team and the department’s staff, we have offset any project delays to secure a timely completion,” said Ralph Farabaugh, construction manager for the contractor.
Through December 24, 2017, the contractor has experienced 183 days that work could not take place due to inclement weather. Despite these lost days, the project is 41 days ahead of the original contract completion date of May 5.
Gov. John Carney stated, “With efforts underway such as the Port of Wilmington expansion, it is critical that freight traffic can move easily through the region, and the new US 301 will be a great asset as we look to grow businesses that are already here and attract new ones to invest and build in Delaware.”
“We are very happy with the work R.E. Pierson has done on this extremely important project for our state,” Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan said. “Opening the new US 301 by the end of 2018 is critical as toll revenues will pay the loans that have helped finance this project.”
This new 1.8 mile segment of concrete four lane roadway included 875,000 cubic yards of earth work, construction of a 140-foot single span bridge over Drawyer Creek, construction of a 190-foot 60 inch dual pipe culvert carrying a tributary to the Drawyer Creek, and the construction of a new bridge carrying the new US 301 over the Norfolk Southern Railroad.
Work is continuing on the other six project sections:
• Section 1A – Route 896 to State Route 1, by Tutor Perini.
• Section 1B – U.S. Route 301 and SR 1 Interchange, by Tutor Perini.
• Section 1D – Constructing the intersection at US 13 and Port Penn Road providing toll-free access to SR 1, by Diamond Materials.
• Section 2A – U.S. Route 301, Levels Road to Summit Bridge Road, by Allen Meyers Contractors.
• Section 2B – Rebuilding the intersection at Summit Bridge and Armstrong Corner roads, near Middletown, by A-Del Construction.
• Section 3 – U.S. Route 301, Maryland State Line to Levels Road, by Greggo & Ferrara Inc.
Additionally, Greggo & Ferrara Inc. won the $7,958,310.00 contract to construct the toll infrastructure for the roadway which includes the gantry structures and equipment huts that will allow for automated tolling.
Ground was broken for the entire US 301 project on February 5, 2016.
The project is partially funded by a $211 million U.S. Department of Transportation loan that will be paid back through toll collections on the highway. The total cost of the project, including land purchases and the maintenance of a reserve fund, is estimated at $636 million.
