THE QUEST FOR QUALITY: PENNSYLVANIA'S MEYERSDALE BYPASS PROJECT

The U.S. Route 219/Meyersdale Bypass Project in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, set a new standard for public-private partnering, serving as a model for the way highways are designed and constructed. The bypass, one of the largest single-section highways ever built by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in Western Pennsylvania, won the Project of the Year Award at the 1999 Pennsylvania Quality Initiative (PQI) Awards Program. It was also honored with the PQI Concrete Pavement and Environmental Award. As a result of its success at the state level, the project was entered in national competition and was a Gold Level Winner (national runner-up) in the National Quality Initiative Awards. A forum of partners committed themselves to achieving seven goals: complete on time, ensure quality project with minimum disruption to the community, strive to achieve zero rework and zero claims, improve on a construction and public safety record that already exceeds industry standards, obtain rideability that is better than specified requirements, provide an environmentally sound and responsible project, and have fun. Throughout the development of the project, team members kept a constant focus on quality. An incentive program for pavement smoothness was offered and awarded. The field crews had radio contact with the on-site batch plant during concrete placement and could request modifications to the concrete mix if needed. In addition to excellent concrete, random tining was used to reduce noise created by tire/pavement interface. Instead of using conventional texturing techniques, random spacing between the grooves reduced the noise.

Language

  • English

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00790634
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, USDOT
  • Created Date: Apr 10 2000 12:00AM