Paving by Moonlight: Night Construction on I-435
When Ron Johnson, PS, CWI, wakes up at 3 p.m. and makes coffee, he doesn’t know whether to make breakfast or lunch before going to work.
Ron is the Quality Control Manager in our Junction City office. In fall 2020, he and a few other inspectors worked from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. on a night construction project in Kansas City managed by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Not a lot of individuals associate construction with nighttime. However, those who work in the traffic industry, like Ron, know that it is fairly common in metropolitan areas.
The main reason to conduct night construction projects is that it increases safety for workers and motorists since there is less traffic at night. Projects completed at night can be completed faster, since traffic does not hinder construction.
Our inspectors worked nights on Interstate 435 in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The project began past the Kansas River and ran north on I-435 until just about the Missouri state line.
The team started by resurfacing the center lane of I-435 North. Once they went the distance of the project (6.7 miles), the contractors turned around and replaced the asphalt going south. Contractors worked from the inside out to resurface the entrance and exit ramps at the end of the project. I-435 is a three-lane highway, which adds up to almost 42 miles total of roadway for the mill and overlay.
For this project, Ron is the Project Manager and self-described “jack of all trades.” The main tasks of inspectors on site include sampling and testing materials used for the project as well as inspecting the workmanship of the mill and overlay job itself. Inspectors also use a project diary to document everything that is involved with the project, and report to KDOT regarding the quality assurance sector of the project. Inspectors use project diaries to document quality control and quality assurance measurements, amount of materials used, densities and testing of products, and change orders for overuse or underuse of materials.
Ron said that while his sleep schedule was switched around for these projects, it is often safer and faster to work during the night. Contractors provide workers with proper lighting and safety equipment during the project, like reflective vests.
When Ron isn’t waking up in the afternoon to do quality assurance for night construction projects, he’s working on bridge inspections, welding inspections, surveys, mentoring employees and business development.
Night construction may seem uncommon to the average person, but to many of our inspectors like Ron Johnson, it is not unusual. We are happy to provide materials testing and construction inspection on all types of projects, employing a staff of experienced technicians at Kaw Valley Engineering. Read more about mill and overlay projects here.