Part of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s Investment Partnership, a $1.6 billion initiative that targeted 42 expansion and critical projects to improve transportation infrastructure across the state, the Rail Runner Express project was ambitious in every respect. The project required two construction phases, with the first using existing track to connect Belen to downtown Albuquerque and the second extending rail service 18 miles farther north into downtown Santa Fe.
It was hoped that the train would provide commuters with an inexpensive alternative to driving and alleviate congestion on Interstate 25, the only major thoroughfare connecting Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
With Phase II of the Rail Runner Express, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) initiated a huge undertaking that generated similarly enormous numbers. The $128 million project required constructing 18 miles of 136-pound, continuously welded rail on concrete ties to expand a system used by about 5,000 commuters each day.
This was a high-numbers game: By completion, the project had produced 1.7 million cubic yards of excavation and consumed 300,000 cubic yards of drill-and-shoot material, 139,000 tons of sub-ballast, 150,000 tons of ballast, 50,000 concrete cross-rail ties and 95,000 track feet of rail. In addition, Rail Runner Phase 2 necessitated the construction of 66,000 square feet of retaining walls, produced through various methods, including mechanically stabilized earth.
But one of the most impressive numbers associated with the project is also one of its smallest: the team of Kiewit New Mexico and Herzog Contracting Corp. completed the project in just 14 months. By using a high-tech, three-dimensional computer design system, they delivered the project on time and within budget, and earned a Design-Build Merit Award in the category of transportation projects over $50 million.
From the very start, time was the least available commodity. Because a delayed delivery would result in inconvenience and monetary damage to the traveling public, the NMDOT planned to assess a penalty of $10,000 for each calendar day the project was late.
“This was a very aggressive, compressed schedule,” said Kiewit New Mexico spokesman Kent Grisham. “We had to come up with better, smarter ways to build.” With such heavy penalties for failure, the question of who to partner with was of paramount importance, Grisham noted. “We wouldn’t take on a project like this without a designer we trust.”
Each company played to its strengths. Kiewit New Mexico focused on securing materials and managing the overall project, including subs. Meanwhile Herzog was counted on for its expertise in all railroad-related aspects of the project. The team enlisted the services of HNTB Corp. to design the project, and to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. About 30 percent of the project was subcontracted; more than 20 material suppliers and subcontractors contributed to the project.
3-D is key
Using the Bentley Roadway Modeler software system, HNTB created three-dimensional plans to help project managers and all members of the design-build team uncover spatial conflicts and assess design applications. Individual contractors had access to three-dimensional plans detailing their contributions, and allowing them to see instantly the effect of alterations. Once the design changes were finalized, team members transmitted data directly to GPS-controlled construction equipment allowing work, like grading, to be done efficiently.
Phase II Construction began in November 2007 and was completed in December 2008. The track runs four miles through Waldo Canyon and proceeds 14 miles north along I-25. Original plans called for four flyover structures where the rail line intersects with I-25, but the design-build team came up with a less expensive alternative: concrete boxes for rail (CBRs).
A quicker and less costly alternative to constructing flyover viaducts, CBRs allow the Rail Runner Express to run underneath I-25. In order to build the CBRs, workers excavated earth near and beneath the interstate — a difficult task that required explosives to cut through 290,000 cubic yards of basalt rock. Some of the blasted rock eventually was used to line ditches.
Increasing the load-bearing capacity of I-25’s existing drainage system challenged the design-build team, too. The existing system consists of concrete cross culverts that run from the west side of the highway to the east; it was never meant to handle the considerable weight of a rail line.
Moving the system or upgrading it with stronger pipes was too costly and time-consuming, so the team developed load-transfer structures similar to small bridges. The bridge structure was built over the existing box culvert to bear the weight of the train. Since no permitting was required and the structures were easily constructed, valuable time was saved.
“We told them we would be innovative,” HNTB project principal Mark Urban said. “We had to deliver. We have spent a lot of time and money perfecting our development and delivery of 3-D technology. When we design things, it’s literally passing from the engineer’s desktop to the contractor’s equipment.”
Rave reviews
The Rail Runner Express is a real hit with commuters. According to a recent NMDOT survey, the average rider commutes about 43 miles, and 60 percent of passengers use the service five days a week. So far, more than two million passengers have used the Rail Runner Express.
“I’ve heard very positive things because people really enjoy being able to take the train up to Santa Fe,” said Tim Cobb, HNTB’s design manager on the project. “The project seems to have a lot of support. Looking back, it was one of those projects where everything came together very neatly throughout, and there were very few hiccups.”
Cobb said one of the keys to sticking to the demanding schedule was obtaining most of the materials locally, ensuring that no time was wasted waiting for materials to arrive. He said the team also was meticulous when it came to scheduling, providing team leaders with day-by-day assignments as well as drawing up detailed weekly, three-week and 90-day schedules. The team used the Primavera Project Planner software tool to monitor progress.
Paul Lindberg, a project development engineer with the New Mexico DOT, praised the design-build team for the way it handled the project. The final six months of work were completed without a recordable or lost-time accident.
“By using a high-tech, 3-D modeling system, the design-build team allowed us to see instantly all design changes, modifications and innovations,” he said. “We were fully engaged throughout the process and knew at all times where the process stood. Phase II of the Rail Runner Express was a high-priority, high-visibility project. The design-build team took measures to assure the project was completed on schedule. The Rail Runner Express has exceeded every expectation. Congestion has been reduced along nearby I-25.
“Phase II of the Rail Runner Express has even proved its mettle during inclement weather, offering commuters a reliable mode of transportation on those rare occasions when I-25 is forced to shut down.”