Bridges Dubbed ‘Project of the Year’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn international trade group is recognizing the Indiana Department of Transportation for its work on a major infrastructure initiative. The International Right of Way Association has named INDOT's portion of the Ohio River Bridges Project its 2013 Project of the Year. October 23, 2013
News Release
LOS ANGELES, Cal. – The International Right of Way Association (IRWA) announced that its 2013 Project of the Year was awarded to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for its role in acquiring land rights and clearing the way for construction of the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project. Spanning two states, this $2.6 billion major improvement project requires constructing two new bridges over the Ohio River.
IRWA's Project of the Year Competition was instituted to showcase the role of right of way professionals in bringing leadership proficiency and innovative cost-saving measures to the infrastructure projects they oversee.
INDOT's Real Estate Division assembled highly specialized teams to oversee the appraisal, acquisition and relocations needed for the Indiana roadway approaches to the Ohio River Bridges. The Bridges Project includes the East End Crossing, which involves a new bridge across the Ohio River and roadway to connect Clark County, Indiana, and Jefferson County, Kentucky, and the Downtown Crossing designed to expand the capacity of I-65 across the Ohio River into downtown Louisville. Despite a compressed schedule, INDOT's right of way acquisition was completed ahead of schedule and $18.8 million under budget.
Scott Adams, INDOT's Director of Real Estate noted, “Every person, every tool, every resource was allotted to make this a success. The multidisciplinary project teams delivered an extremely complex historically significant project, on time and under budget. It was a resounding success and a model for our projects going forward.”
In recognizing the project winner, IRWA International President Lisa Harrison, SR/WA, R/W-URAC, R/W-NAC, R/W-RAC said, “With today's critical transportation infrastructure projects, this is a stellar example of how highly-skilled right of way professionals can deliver sizeable cost savings, while achieving an aggressive schedule. I applaud the winners for using inventive strategies to address some very complex funding issues.”
IRWA Executive Vice President Mark Rieck added, “Professionals who are skilled in right of way best practices can really make a tangible difference in a project's bottom line. The INDOT project team was able to trim $18.8 million from the budget, while enabling construction to start ahead of schedule. These are measureable results that speak volumes about the unique skillset of all involved.”
Right of Way Magazine, the industry's foremost resource, will feature the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project in its November/December 2013 issue, along with the Top 10 Projects of the Year. In ranking order, the Top 10 Projects include:
1. Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project, Indiana Department of Transportation
2. Utah County 1-15 Corridor Expansion, Utah Department of Transportation
3. Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project, Universal Field Services, Inc.
4. Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority Project, Bender Rosenthal, Inc.
5. US 41 Corridor Project, Wisconsin Department of Transportation
6. RTD FasTracks West Rail Line, Colorado's Regional Transportation District
7. Lone Star Transmission Competitive Renewable Energy Zone 345-kV Electric Transmission Line, Lone Star Transmission
8. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Arizona Housing Project, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
9. Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges, Kentucky Section 4, Lochner
10. Alaskan Way Viaduct Building Acquisition/Relocation, Washington State Department of Transportation
IRWA is a nonprofit association serving professionals who acquire, manage and transfer the land rights needed for building and maintaining energy and transportation infrastructure. In light of the proficiency required for this complex profession, IRWA offers over 50 courses on such topics as easement valuation, negotiations, real estate law, environmental awareness, asset management and relocation assistance. IRWA's 10,000 members are recognized for their high ethical standards and pursue ongoing training and professional development through in-class and online courses, chapter meetings, seminars and annual conferences.
Visit www.irwaonline.org and follow us on Twitter @IRWA_Network. Right of Way Magazine is available at www.rightofwaymagazine-digital.org.
Source: International Right of Way Association