Eastern Avenue Pavement Rehabilitation Project
Location
City of Commerce on Eastern Avenue between Atlantic Boulevard & south of the RR Tracks (south of Commerce Way)
City or County Responsible for Project
City of Commerce
Category
Roads: Efficient and Sustainable Road Maintenance, Construction and Reconstruction Projects.
Author
Maryam Babaki
City of Commerce
2535 Commerce Way, Commerce, CA 90040
323-722-4805 Ext. 2337
323-888-6537
Project Description
Eastern Avenue is a major corridor in the City of Commerce with heavy vehicular & truck traffic, connecting to the I-5 Freeway. This project was not the traditional pavement rehabilitation design & construction project. It involved extensive coordination with local businesses to ensure the roadway remained open and have the least impact to the community. Additionally, the City had a limited budget & tight timeline for work to be completed before Thanksgiving. Originally, the project cost for rehabilitation was estimated to be $2.3M. After value engineering & analysis of pavement treatment approaches, the City came up with a solution that would be both environmentally sustainable & cost-effective. The project utilized reclaimed asphalt concrete pavement, a cost-effective approach to conventional rehabilitation which resulted in 50% cost savings reducing the estimated project cost from $2.3M to $1.15M. These savings were able to be used by the City for additional street rehabilitation projects improving the quality of life for its residents. This project was environmentally responsible since regular asphalt is not biodegradable material, any waste thrown into landfills remain there, additionally non-renewable resources must be used to generate new asphalt. The City choose a material mix that minimizes waste by repurposing old asphalt. Apart from the environmental benefits this approach is sustainable & provides excellent bonding qualities. The project increased the overall quality & durability of the roadway & visually enhanced the look. FHWA supports & promotes the use of recycled highway materials in pavement construction to preserve the natural environment, reduce waste, & provide a cost-effective material for roadways. The project contributed to the quality of life in the community in many aspects. The project utilized approximately 18,000 SY of 18” full depth reclaimed asphalt concrete pavement with 4% concrete. The project also used 18,000 SY of 3” cold central-plant recycled (CCPR) of reclaimed asphalt concrete pavement. During construction, materials & existing conditions were constantly tested to identify the most efficient & cost effective method to use. The benefits of using this material in this project were • The project was less expensive than conventional asphalt because most of the material used to produce is in-place & has already been paid for. This approach reduced the construction cost by approximately 50%, from $2.3M to $1.15M. • This project left a smaller carbon footprint reducing greenhouse gases because of the significant reduction in trucks exporting & importing materials, reducing energy usage in the process. The construction itself was accelerated, despite cold weather & rain, ensuring residents were not impacted during holidays. The project was completed cost effectively, within a tight schedule & with minimal impact to the community. The City will now be using similar approaches for future projects.
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