ACE grade separation projects recognized for construction management

The Southern California Chapter of the Construction Management Association has recognized two recently completed Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) grade separation projects for achievement, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments announced yesterday.

The awards acknowledged the projects for "outstanding achievement in the practice of construction management," council officials said in a press release.

The two projects are part of a program of 19 grade separations at rail crossings in eastern Los Angeles. The separation projects are designed to mitigate the impact of growth in trade transported by train along the ACE corridor.

Completed in July 2018, the trench grade separation in San Gabriel, California, was recognized with the chapter's project achievement award in the $100 million transportation and infrastructure category. The project resulted in the lowering of a 1.4-mile section of railroad track in a 30-foot deep, 65-foot-wide trench through San Gabriel spanned by roadway bridges at four crossings and railroad bridges at two storm channels.

The trench eliminates crossing delays for nearly 90,000 motorists every day, eliminates locomotive horns and crossing bells and allows emergency responders to respond more quickly on both sides of the tracks. Jacobs served as construction manager and Walsh Construction as general contractor on the $293.7 million project.

Completed in April 2018, the Puente Avenue grade separation in Industry and Avocado Heights, California, was recognized in the more than $20 million category. The project involved construction of a new four-lan roadway underpass, bridges for trail traffic and for vehicles, as well as a loop connector road.

The grade separation eliminates the potential for train-vehicle collisions and emergency responder delays at the former at-grade crossing that carried over 31,000 vehicles a day. AECOM served as construction manager and OHL USA as general contractor on the $97.4 million project.

"We are honored to have received this recognition," said Victoria Martinez, who chairs the council's Capital Projects and Construction Committee. "It is a testament to the excellent leadership of our staff and the talented project teams that make it all happen."