*Information provided by NTTA
Construction on the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) Eastern Extension has gone vertical.
The contractor has completed about a dozen of the nearly 100 bridge columns that are needed to support overpasses in Section 30, which runs from west of Miles Road to north of the future Merritt Road in Rowlett.
A total of 49 columns will be constructed for the northbound and southbound lanes as they pass over Liberty Grove Road, with the tallest column reaching approximately 31 feet. This height will allow the overpass elevation to top 40 to 45 feet.
Also in Section 30, the contractor continues to install moisture-treated subgrade along the lanes and embankments, as well as water and sewer lines. Crews recently tunneled under the DART light rail track north of Main Street to install a drainage culvert under Kirby Road.
The NTTA is building Sections 28-31 of the 9.9-mile extension, which will lengthen the PGBT southeast from State Highway (SH) 78, over Lake Ray Hubbard, to Interstate Highway 30. The Texas Department of Transportation is building the lake bridge (Section 32). Construction began in October 2008 and the road is expected to open to traffic in late 2011.
Elsewhere on the extension, contractors are performing various phases of construction from drilling shafts for support columns to placing panels for retaining walls.
In Section 28, from west of SH 78 to west of Miles Road, the contractor continues excavation operations between Crist Road and Firewheel Parkway while also building embankment and retaining walls throughout the section.
Section 29 contractors substantially have completed preparation of the right of way and started construction of storm water drainage systems. Section 29 runs from west of Miles Road to north of future Merritt Road.
Drainage culverts also are being constructed in Section 31, from south of Main Street to the north bank of Lake Ray Hubbard. In addition, the contractor is getting ready to go vertical, too, with construction of the bridge over Miller Road.
If you would like to receive the monthly progress report on the PGBT Eastern Extension via e-mail, please go here: www.ntta.org/projectupdates.
To ask project-related questions: e-mail pgbtee@ntta.org, or call 972-628-3188.