COLONY BOULEVARD EMERGENCY CULVERT REPLACEMENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The twin 20-foot by 12-foot structural plate arch culverts under Colony Boulevard, the only access roadway to a major apartment complex, collapsed early one October morning during a significant rain event.  The collapse resulted in utility outages and no means of ingress or egress for over 300 residents or any emergency vehicles.  Since Colony Boulevard is privately owned and maintained, Colony North, LLC first retained Duffield Associates, Inc. to assist in negotiations with the Delaware Department of Transportation and adjacent property owners to construct and maintain an emergency access roadway until a permanent replacement could be constructed.

Under a fast track schedule, Duffield Associates prepared a demolition plan to remove the remaining debris and prepared permits with the governing environmental agencies.  An “in kind” replacement of the culverts was chosen to allow rapid permitting and regulatory approval.

Working under the expedited schedule, Duffield Associates’ team of engineers and scientists developed final construction drawings and obtained necessary permits and approvals.  Bids were solicited from contractors and a contract awarded concurrently with ordering the structural plate arch culverts from the fabricator to expedite construction.

The design for the reconstructed roadway incorporated current roadway and pedestrian walkway design standards.  Special attention was given to the aesthetics of the roadway as well as to the embankment construction and erosion protection.

Duffield Associates’ construction team served as the construction manager and was able to complete the reconstruction project in 11 weeks during one of the coldest winters in recent memory, and in spite of multiple snow storms and flooding events.  The project was completed within projected budget and ahead of schedules mandated by the governing authorities.