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VTrans CVRR Wetland Mitigation

 

DuBois & King provided site identification and viability, evaluation, planning, and design services for a wetland mitigation site to compensate for impacts associated with a 16.7-mile limited access highway on a new alignment in Chittenden County. The project team located a site adjacent to the planned highway. The identified compensatory area had marginal wetland and wildlife habitat function and values. The D&K team developed a design for the wetland that significantly increased the functions and values of the site. Design for the site resulted in a sustainable ecosystem by:

De-channelizing highway runoff, decreasing energy/erosion potential
Increasing treatment of the highway runoff, improving water quality
Reducing the temperature of runoff, improving water quality
Increasing the diversity of wetland, aquatic, and wildlife habitat
Designing the site to function during periods of drought or flood

The project consisted of converting a 7.7-acre field into a wetland. A diversion channel/level spreader was designed along the upslope of the mitigation site. Drainage from approximately 90 acres of upland area is collected and directed into the level spreader. The result of de-channelizing the runoff and allowing it to sheet flow across the upper reaches of the site sufficiently altered the hydrology in the existing hydric soils to support a scrub-shrub wetland. At the base of the steeper terrain, a 1.1-acre marsh was created through excavation. The marsh varies in depth, with the majority averaging between 12 to 18 inches. A 1/8-acre pool, 4 to 5 ft deep, within the marsh provides winter habitat for wildlife such as frogs and turtles. An outlet channel was designed from the marsh to control water levels and divert runoff to the existing drainage channel and culvert under the Central Vermont Railroad. A complete planting plan was developed to speed up and enhance the wetland conversion. DuBois & King provided supervision of the planting program and inspection services for compliance with Army Corps of Engineers requirements.

Services provided include site selection, topographic survey, subsurface/soils evaluations, groundwater monitoring, hydrologic/hydraulic analyses, impoundment structure design, preparation of construction plans and special provision, landscape design, quantity takeoff, and cost estimates.

VTrans Construction Inspection

 

On-call retainer contract with the Vermont Agency of Transportation for construction inspection services in support of agency resident engineer. Projects include:

Hyde Park Roundabout, Hyde Park. Construction inspection services for a new $1.5 million roundabout at the junctions of Routes 100 and 15. The pre-existing intersection was the location of numerous accidents and inadequate for the periodic high traffic volumes. The project was designed by VTrans. Working under VTrans’ Resident Engineer, D&K’s inspector provided full-time inspection services for the eight-month construction duration. The inspector performed fieldwork, observed and documented construction activities, kept detailed measurements and tracking of installed items and quantities, prepared daily reports, maintained a photographic record of the progress of construction, and participated in regularly scheduled construction status meetings. The inspector was instrumental in the coordination of traffic control, which was a critical component of this project. The new roundabout includes new subbase and base materials, drainage features, reinforced earth embankments, new granite curbing, bituminous concrete pavement, a textured and colored reinforced concrete truck apron, sign replacements and relocations, pavement markings, and landscaping.

“Big Dig”, Barre. D&K provided full-time construction inspection services over a 23-month period on the Barre City Improvements project, known as the “Big Dig”. This $16 million major road, utility, and streetscape reconstruction project extended 2,600 ft along Main Street through downtown Barre City and required significant detours and vehicular/pedestrian traffic management efforts. Project consisted of new road subbase, stormwater drainage, sewer mains and services, water mains and services, major intersection signalization, electrical service to new street lighting, concrete sidewalks, granite curbing, crosswalks, street signage, pavement markings, and related roadway items. Streetscape enhancements included new ornamental street lighting, granite bollards, street trees and landscaping, bike racks, benches, and decorative sidewalk treatments. The inspector was responsible for daily tracking of quantities, with a focus on drainage, roadway subbase, pavement, and pavement markings. D&K’s inspector worked 26 weeks of night work as the Contractor installed sewer, water, and drainage around the clock in order to meet contract completion milestones, and continued to provide services throughout the project closeout phase, which involved months of detailed quantity cross checking, tracking, and documentation.

Bridge Replacement VT-132, Thetford. D&K provided full-time construction inspection for a major bridge replacement project on Route 132, which consisted of removing the existing bridge, installing three 70-ft steel girder spans and a new concrete deck, and reconstructing portions of the existing piers and abutments. Unique bridge design included girders on elastomeric bearing pads, approach slabs pinned to the bridge deck, and expansion joints located at the outer edge of the approach slabs. Full-time inspection services including: assisting the resident with horizontal/vertical bridge layout; reviewing contractor’s safety protocols; materials sampling (rebar, nuts/bolts/washers, granular materials); onsite materials testing (concrete, asphalt); field-calibration of torque gun; use of fall protection equipment to inspect bolts, bearing pads, etc; verification of steel reinforcing layout; preparation of daily field reports; photo documentation of progress; quantities tracking using Sites Manager program; environmental monitoring associated with lead abatement and erosion control; finalizing the project by preparing final quantities including field-measurements, extensive calculations, and verifying/reconciling all quantities; and tracking field changes and transferring to plans.

Route 107 Field Office, Tropical Storm Irene Emergency Response. An inspector from D&K was assigned to the Route 107 field office that was established to support the $18 million reconstruction of Route 107; know as the “Last Mile”. D&K’s inspector was part of a five-member team that was responsible for reconciling Daily Work Reports (DWR) and reviewing invoices that had accumulated from the numerous contractors involved in this major project. Entered DWR’s into MATS (Materials Tracking System). Inspector provided periodic field services related to traffic control, reviewed granular materials for acceptance/rejection, evaluated damage to drainage structures, and made recommendations for rehabilitation/replacement. Inspector provided assistance in public relations with landowners impacted by the flood and identified creative and cost-effective repair solutions to drainage and drive entrances.

VTrans Chittenden County Circumferential Highway

 

Environmental documentation, natural resource identification, alternatives assessment, and permitting for a 16.7-mile limited access highway on a new alignment in Chittenden County. Services include:

Draft and final Environmental Impact Statement
Resource identification, assessment, and mapping
Coordination with local, State, and Federal regulators
Section 4(f) and 6(f) documentation
Identification of equivalent replacement land
Wetland delineation/mitigation
Design of three wetland compensation sites
Vermont Act 250
404 Master Permit
401 Water Quality Certification
Threatened and Endangered Species Permit
Stormwater Discharge Permits
Construction Stormwater Permit
Air Quality Permit
Stream Alteration Permits
Visual Impact Analysis and landscape design
Public participation/presentation and hearings
NEPA reevaluation

VTrans Brandon Brook Slope Stabilization/Stream Restoration

 

Design and construction services for emergency river and roadway reconstruction at several intersections of Brandon Brook and Route 73 following Tropical Storm Irene. Initial road reconstruction, as well as the flood itself, resulted in significant channel instability and complete loss of habitat in three locations, totaling approximately 2,900-ft. Channel stabilization design features included 13 stone weirs to create habitat. The design elevated the channel bottom to increase channel width. Channel stabilization also restored floodplain access and reduced the potential for undermining of the new riprap on the roadway embankment. Rehabilitation included stone veins to direct flow away from the roadway and to restore habitat. The channel was seeded with hundreds of randomly placed boulders to provide habitat shelter and structure for natural growth. Prepared simple plans for contractor use and provided on-site (in-river) direction.

River inspection
Geomorphic assessment
Field design
Restoration plans
Regulatory coordination
Construction direction

VTrans Barney Brook Wetland Mitigation Site

 

In order to mitigate for the wetland impacts associated with the construction of the Bennington Bypass project, DuBois & King assisted the Vermont Agency of Transportation in the identification, selection, and design of a 28 ± acre wetland mitigation complex along Barney Brook in Bennington. The plan entailed the conversion of 6.7 acres of upland to wetland, the enhancement of 5.5 acres of existing wetland, and .9 acres of riparian corridor enhancement.

A hydrologic and hydraulic evaluation was conducted to forecast the altered groundwater and surface water conditions necessary to support wetland hydrology/plantings. The analysis included installation and monitoring of observation wells and the modeling of existing and projected groundwater levels using the “Boss International, Groundwater Modeling System” software. Both the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources approved the wetland complex design.

D&K assisted VTrans with construction services as a resident inspector and provided services during the five-year monitoring period. Construction phase services included project stakeout, quantity calculations, review of plantings, preparation of bi-weekly payment amounts, daily reports, and recording as-built information.