Transportation Market

BSK is currently providing Quality Assurance Materials Testing and Source Inspection Services to the US 101/Blossom Hill Road Interchange Improvement Project. The purpose of this project will improve traffic on the freeways and local roadways in the vicinity and improve bicycle and pedestrian travel along Blossom Hill Road and surrounding areas. The project has multiple components and phases including construction of a bridge structure over US 101, widening of the existing US 101 northbound off-ramp, reconfiguration of the eastbound approach to the Blossom Hill Road/northbound off-ramp, widening of the existing US 101 southbound off-ramp, realignment of the entrances to the existing US 101 southbound and northbound loop on-ramps, reconfiguration of Monterey Road to eastbound Blossom Hill Road connector ramp, and installation of a Bicycle/Pedestrian path.

BSK’s services include materials testing of soils, aggregate base, hot-mix asphalt, structural concrete, and structural steel elements. BSK’s source inspection scope included prefabricated concrete and steel items, as well as anchorage, epoxy coated reinforcement, welded rebar hoops, rebar couplers, reinforcing steel and prestressing tendons, column casings, and a prefabricated steel pedestrian bridge.

Beltway Operational Improvement Project photo by City of Bakersfield

Associates has proudly partnered with NV5 to provide Quality Assurance Materials Testing services for the Beltway Operational Improvement Project, an $81 million project as part of the City of Bakersfield’s Thomas Roads Improvement Program. This project includes operational improvements to interchange ramps and the construction of auxiliary lanes, retaining walls, and sound walls to improve safety and traffic operations along the SR 58 corridor east of SR 99 to Cottonwood Road, and at the SR 99/Ming Avenue Interchange.

Photo courtesy of AECOM.

BSK Associates has proudly partnered with AECOM to provide Quality Assurance Materials Testing and Source Inspection services for Phases 3 and 4 of the Centennial Corridor Project as part of the City of Bakersfield’s Thomas Roads Improvement Program. The Centennial Corridor Project constructs a new alignment and provides route continuity for State Route 58 from Cottonwood Road on existing SR 58 (East) to Interstate 5 (West).

The $48.6 million dollar Phase 3 project, known as Bakersfield Freeway Connector Project, includes reconstruction of the westbound and southbound loop ramp at SR 99 entrance to Ming Avenue off-ramp and a new barrier-separated connector ramp to Ming Avenue. Major design elements include constructing two (2) new cast-in-place post tensioned prestress box girder bridges with four spans 1,165 feet in length and 39 feet wide, and one (1) cast-in-place post-tensioned box girder approximately 40 feet wide and 392 feet in length to widen the existing bridge, one (1) cast-in-place concrete pumping station with storage box and several retaining walls.

The $147 million dollar Phase 4 project, known as Mainline includes construction of a new freeway section between SR 99 and the Westside Parkway as part of the future SR 58 Centennial Corridor. The project includes construction of ten (10) new bridges including one (1) Viaduct, four (4) undercrossings, three (3) overcrossings, and two (2) connector overcrossings. In total, there will be approximately 40,000 cubic yards of concrete placed for bridge deck structures, approximately 673,000 cubic yards of import borrow, 41,100 tons of HMA paving, 41,200 cubic yards of continually reinforced concrete paving, and more than 83,000 linear feet of precast and cast-in-drilled hole concrete piling to support the structures.

Ghirardelli was retained as the City of Alameda’s consultant construction management firm for the project and coordinated with the developer and with WETA to help ensure the project met all stakeholder expectations and requirements. The Ghirardelli CM was Bill Davis. BSK provided Quality Assurance testing materials testing/special inspection of field/shop welding inspection, as well as special inspections of high-strength bolting, reinforced concrete, post-installed anchor, and geotechnical support for ground improvement. The project is a new construction ferry terminal which includes a passenger loading float, fixed pier, gangway connecting the two, public shoreline improvements a parking area and infrastructure improvements required to support the facility. It included 7.14 acres of landscaping, parking, and bike/pedestrian pathways, and approximately 13,000 SF of ferry terminal building, gangway and float.

The City of Manteca has partnered with Caltrans District 10 and the San Joaquin Council of Governments to improve the traffic flow at the State Route 120 and Union Road Interchange. The project will become the first diverging diamond interchange (DDI) in the State of California and improves safety conditions of the intersection by construction new on and off ramps, widening Union Road, and adding Class I shared use paths and Class II bike lanes.

The DDI configuration is a unique configuration that provides cost savings and safety benefits for vehicles and pedestrians. The system takes local road traffic and shifts it to the left side of the road before being shifted back to the right, reducing conflict points resulting from signals and vehicles while allowing traffic to flow more efficiently through the interchange.

BSK provided Quality Assurance testing materials testing to the Resident Engineer on the entire project to include soils, aggregate base, hot-mix asphalt, and concrete, as well as Source Inspection for structural elements. The Source Inspection scope included prefabricated concrete and steel items, as well as anchorage, reinforcing steel and prestressing tendons.

Located in the unincorporated area of east Contra Costa County between Clayton and Brentwood, the $4.9 million Marsh Creek Road Bridge Replacement project replaced an existing 29.5 ft. wide by 44.5 ft. long steel girder bridge with a new, wider, two‐stage precast/pre‐stressed wide‐flange California Bulb Tee girder bridge. Each bridge abutment had either wingwall or retaining walls constructed in each corner of the bridge. The new bridge has two 12 ft. lanes and two 8 ft. shoulders. Several Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques were utilized in an area which presented several environmental restrictions. The project area had 6,000 vehicles/day traveling along Marsh Creek Road. Construction was staged in four phases. This project was primarily funded by Federal Highway Bridge Replacement funding, Local Road funds, and SB‐1 funds. The project was designed to Caltrans standards.

The project used high early strength concrete and concrete accelerants, and soil‐cement backfill with geogrid. Additional elements included 22 foot tall temporary soil‐nail shoring walls, a soldier pile wall with concrete facing. The project team approved two special concrete mix designs, one with higher cement content and water reducers (Delvo), and another with concrete accelerant BASF MasterSet AC 534, which was pre‐approved through Caltrans, achieving over 4,200 psi concrete in 3 days. As a subconsultant to Substrate, Inc., and under Hill International’s direction, BSK’s role in the project was to support source inspection of six – 88’3” long girders at Confab LLC in Lathrop, as well as Quality Assurance materials testing/special inspection of structural backfill, aggregate base, hot mix asphalt and structural concrete construction elements.  This project was an awardee of the American Public Works Association for Project of the Year in 2018.

Ghirardelli was retained as WETA’s consultant construction management firm for the project. The Ghirardelli CM was Bill Davis. BSK provided Quality Assurance testing of the primarily the structural steel, bolting and concrete construction elements. BSK supported the project with structural steel elements to include field/ shop welding inspection, high strength bolting, and post-installed anchor special inspections. This project added public water transit to the transportation options in the Mission Bay neighborhood. Located at Pier 48 ½, the project was the launch of ferry service to the Chase Center Ferry Landing. The temporary structure included one temporary float, a steel landing platform and float gangway landing

Under a geotechnical engineering on-call services contract directly with Contra Costa County, BSK investigated the landslide and provided repair recommendations so the roadway could be restored. Recommendations included soldier pile and lagging, stitch piers, and landslide removal and slope reconstruction. As part of an on-call construction management contract, BSK provided materials testing services for this project as it proceeded to construction. The project included removal of washed-out culvert debris and headwalls, and the construction of a single span, pre-cast, prestressed voided slab bridge.  The bridge was supported on concrete abutments on driven piles, and a new roadway section was placed for the bridge approach.  BSK provide materials testing offsite for precast member fabrication and onsite for earthwork, hot-mix asphalt pavement, and concrete construction elements.

Following the 2020 Creek Fire, significant damage to the southwestern slopes adjacent to Peterson Road east of Tollhouse Road were incurred.  It is understood the slope has exhibited minor sloughing in the past. However, after recent fires and increased truck traffic, slopes have exhibited more significant movement.  Curbs along the road edge have moved several inches, and in three locations radial cracking patterns emanating from the slope edge are visible in the asphalt pavement. The slopes below the roadway are approximately 20 to 40 feet high.  Previous drainage along the roadway appears to include diverting water to the shoulders and use of culverts. New retaining walls were designed and planned to be supported on shallow foundations or micro-piles.

Repair of the landslides at the site was under a tight schedule to improve the road before the community could start rebuilding following the Creek Fire. Performing geotechnical investigation, laboratory testing, and preparing the report was completed within 10 business days.