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The environmental considerations, combined with a beautifully constructed full-depth asphalt pavement, gives way for a smooth scenic ride around Nelsonville, Ohio, and through the Wayne National Forest.

INSIDE THE PROJECT

Å®ÓÅÒùÍÞÅàѵӪ completed Phase 1 and 2 of the Nelsonville US 33 Bypass (through portions of the Wayne National Forest) in Hocking and Athens County, Ohio. The $67 million (combined) projects included the placement of 4.96 miles of full-depth asphalt pavement on a new four-lane, limited-access highway.

At one point, it was the largest earthwork project in the State of Ohio. Both projects combined included over 8.5 million cubic yards of excavation, 6.7 million cubic yards of embankment, 120-inch and 144-inch diameter culverts, 27,000 linear feet of drainage, and 8 new bridges.

Because it cut through nearly five miles of forest land, the project raised a number of sensitive environmental issues. Due to the unique alignment, the Owner implemented several environmental mitigation techniques. Å®ÓÅÒùÍÞÅàѵӪ worked closely with numerous agencies to incorporate several elements to protect wildlife in the area, including high-mast lighting for bats, wildlife jump-outs for deer, a butterfly bridge, rattlesnake fencing, acid mine treatment ponds, landscaping plan with special seeds and trees, and tunnels for safe crossings by wildlife crossing under the new alignment.

Å®ÓÅÒùÍÞÅàѵӪ installed about ten times more control measures than typically performed on a similar project. Some of the mitigation methods utilized on this project carried to other projects in other states and served as a role model for them to follow when working in a National Forest.