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Idaho Sand & Gravel remains on schedule to achieve substantial completion for Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) US-95 at the end of July despite extremely wet and windy weather conditions this spring. US-95 was originally bid with hot mix asphalt, but ITD approved a change order allowing Idaho Sand & Gravel to use WMA instead. US-95 is the second major highway in Idaho that features WMA. Idaho Sand & Gravel also completed the state’s first WMA project. Idaho Sand & Gravel expects to capture the quality control and smoothness incentives for the 64,450 tons of warm mix asphalt they have placed.

When Staker Parson approached the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) about incorporating WMA on the I-15 CORE project, they agreed to let Staker Parson Companies use WMA for a small percentage of the asphalt. Project manager Brandon LeFevre reports that Staker Parson has achieved all the quality control and density incentives at a rate that exceeds historical levels achieved for traditional hot mix asphalt. Because of the success of using WMA, UDOT agreed to let Staker Parson incorporate even more WMA, and 160,000 of the tons placed to-date are WMA. Staker Parson has now equipped three of its hot plants in Salt Lake County with WMA capabilities.

“I’m very encouraged by the results of using WMA,” says LeFevre.  “We’re hopeful that owners and agencies will continue to develop permissive specifications that allow the use of new WMA technology in place of conventional hot mix asphalt. This continued advancement of WMA will surely lead to benefits for companies, customers, the environment and the community.”

General Contractor: Idaho Sand & Gravel

Completion Date:  2011

Location: Intersection of I-84 connecting Boise, Meridian and Nampa, Idaho 

The new interchange spnas 200 feet of I-84. The road will be widened from two to four lanes with sidewalks and bicycle lanes in each direction.

• 800,000 cubic yards of granular borrow
•  95,000 tons of roadbase
• 50,000 tons asphalt
• 58,000 cubic yards concrete
• 8,000 cubic yards of structural concrete

General Contractor: Idaho Sand & Gravel

Location: Highway 78 along the Snake River

Idaho Sand & Gravel completed work on this project within 28 working days. In order to meet the deadline, ISG had to pave 3,000 ton per day covering approximately 40 lane miles of the highway.  The work was completed on time and within budget, all while utilizing warm mix asphalt. 

• Paved 40 lane miles of State Highway 78
• 42,000 tons warm mix asphalt paving
• Winner of 2010 Aon Build America award

The renovation of Idaho’s State Highway 78, a $2.6 million project to repave 40 lane miles of highway, won for best renovation of a highway and transportation project under $10 million.  The project team partnered with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to use warm mix asphalt for the entire paving on the project, totaling 42,000 ton.

Garry Mattson, Idaho Sand & Gravel vice president said, “This project was a huge success for everyone involved.  Although we hadn’t produced warm mix asphalt in large quantities prior to this project, we relied on the expertise of other Oldcastle Materials companies and were able to present the benefits of warm mix asphalt to the ITD. We completed the project in 28 days and on budget, all while utilizing the innovative warm mix paving technique and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

 Shawna King, ITD engineer, echoed Mattson’s sentiments about the project, saying, “We are pleased to have partnered with Idaho Sand & Gravel on this warm mix asphalt project.  The benefits of mix produced at a lower temperature are great in saved energy costs and reduced emissions and fumes.”

The Aon Build America Awards recognize the nation’s most significant construction projects.  A panel of judges, representing all areas of construction, evaluated over 115 projects this year, assessing each project’s complexity, use of innovative construction techniques and coordination with partners, among other criteria.  The awards, which were announced during the association’s annual convention in Las Vegas, are considered by many to be the most prestigious recognition of construction accomplishments in the U.S.