FEATURED PROJECTS

I-64 at Cochran Hill Tunnels

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways recently awarded the Louisville-Lexington Road (I-64) Rehabilitation project in Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky. The project was included as a portion of the Friday, July 27, 2001 highway letting.

Interstate 64 is one of the state’s most heavily traveled roadways. Estimates indicate that approximately 100,000 motorists travel along Interstate 64 each day. The project is the first significant amount of repair which this portion of the national interstate system has undergone since its opening in 1970.

The project included rehabilitation of the Cochran Hill Tunnels in both eastbound and westbound lanes. The main purpose of the project was to provide a smoother, safer, and more aesthetically pleasing roadway for motorists while minimizing the inconvenience.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet maintains that, “The weekend-only construction schedule is being utilized to keep traffic delays to a minimum and not interfere with the weekday commute. The traditional approach of keeping one lane open would cause the project to take much longer, create major traffic delays and cause safety concerns for workers.”

The project is unique in that all lanes of I-64, from spaghetti junction to the Watterson Expressway, are closed to traffic from 9:00 p.m. Friday evening until 6:00 a.m. Monday morning. The roadwork began the weekend of August 10, 2001 and continued over the next fifteen (15) weekends through November 19, 2001. Motorists follow signed detours strictly monitored by law enforcement officials.

Hydro-Technologies, Inc. involvement with this project consisted of performing 2,821 square yards of total surface fast track hydro-demolition inside the Cochran Hill Tunnels. Hydro-Demolition would be performed prior to the placement of Rapid Set Latex Modified Concrete Pavement. Replacing the badly worn existing roadway driving surface.

The work was performed during two (2) of the scheduled weekend closures. The westbound I-64 Tunnel was performed the morning of August 25, 2001 with the eastbound I-64 Tunnel being performed the morning of September 1, 2001.

The Owner, by utilizing the Fast Track Hydro-demolition system, was able to perform the concrete surface removal, place, finish, and cure the Rapid Set Latex Modified Concrete Overlay with hours remaining prior to the reopening of Interstate 64.

The Fast Track Hydrodemolition system provided the Owner with both direct and indirect advantages while achieving the main project objective: “...provide a smoother, safer, and more aesthetically pleasing roadway for motorists while minimizing the inconvenience.” This objective was achieved while maintaining quality.

The Cochran Hill Tunnels and Interstate 64 are now ready to face another thirty years of rigorous use.