Atkins, part of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is providing construction management services for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority(OTA). The contract will assist OTA with its Driving Forward plan. OTA’s US$892 million expansion and improvement plan is focussing on six key turnpike development works, for which Atkins is providing assistance on three projects.
“We are committed to doing our part to make Oklahoma’s turnpike system safer and less congested, while providing commuters with the potential for shorter travel times,” said Atkins project manager Ira Barrow.
Atkins has a contract worth $20 million for the Driving Forward project, which includes work to the Southwest Kilpatrick Extension and John Kilpatrick Turnpike projects. The project is for an 11km extension to connect south-west Oklahoma City and the metro area with the urban core. The new link will offer an alternate route running to Will Rogers World Airport, located south-west of the downtown area. Atkins will perform construction management, resident engineering and inspection services.
The firm is also working on upgrades to boost the safety of the Turner Turnpike. Since 2010, this 35km section of Turner Turnpike has seen 15 fatalities and over 500 crashes. Once complete, improved lighting, wider lanes and additional travel lanes are expected to boost safety. The upgrades will also create an urban corridor, making way for future truck-specific and high-occupancy vehicle lanes. Atkins’ construction management and oversight services will cover road widening and new bridges along a 17.6km stretch of the route.
The company will also work on a project to reduce journey times between Oklahoma City’s metro area to Tulsa. Traffic congestion also may be minimised in Oklahoma City because of the 33.6km loop, which will link Interstates 40 and 44 (Turner Turnpike). As a subconsultant to Benchmark Construction Services, Atkins is providing construction management oversight for the Interstate 40 at Eastern Oklahoma County interchange and other future segments.
The new link is being built with a concrete base and machines from Guntert & Zimmerman are amongst the equipment fleet working on the paving operation. An S850 paver is being used for the project.
