GBA Selected by MoDOT to Design Replacement of Broadway Bridge over I-670 in Downtown KCMO

Important Link to Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to be Completed for Grand Opening Gala!

A busy holiday season has gotten even busier for some of GBA's highway, bridge, and traffic designers who, teamed with el dorado inc., Hg Consult, and Kleinfelder, are working with MoDOT to design the replacement of the Broadway Bridge over I-670 in downtown Kansas City, Mo. An accelerated schedule calls for the high-profile new bridge to be completed by mid-September of 2011, in time for the grand opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

 

To make that happen, the team is pulling out all the stops and will submit final plans on February 14, just under three months after receiving a notice to proceed. A public information meeting is planned for early February, and the prominent location of the project has generated more than a passing interest from a wide range of stakeholders well beyond MoDOT and the Kauffman Center. Some of those involved include the City Manager's Office, Kansas City Public Works, Kansas City Parks and Recreation, Westside Community Action Network, Crossroads Community Association, DST Systems, Inc, MC Realty Group, LLC, and the Downtown Council, to name a few!

 

The project is scheduled to be advertised to bidders on March 17, with an early May letting.

 

“In forming our team, we were very aware of the critical nature of the schedule and the need to create a design that could be constructed easily and in keeping with the context of the site and the architecture of the nearby Performing Arts Center and Kansas City Convention Center,” said GBA Project Manager Tawn Nugent. “Our design approach is to bring forth solutions that save money and that are critical to the overall success of the project.” GBA is providing bridge and roadway design, surveying services, traffic engineering and signalization, and required utility coordination.

 

GBA is working closely with Architect David Dowell, AIA, of el dorado to create a design that provides an aesthetic connection to the adjacent projects and is sensitive to the expectations of the community. David was the architect for the recently updated bridges over I-670 east of Bartle Hall that connect the Central Business District with the Crossroads Arts District. Team member Hg Consult, Inc., a Kansas City-based DBE-certified engineering firm, is providing design support, while Kleinfelder, a nationwide planning, engineering, scientific, and technical firm with offices in Kansas City, is providing geotechnical services.

 

We're excited about the project and will share the final design when it's unveiled!

 

Read more about the project in The Kansas City Star at Kansas City.com.

GBA’s Kent Dyck Receives Certified Energy Manager® Designation

Senior Engineer Kent Dyck has achieved the Certified Energy Manager, CEM®, designation, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated high levels of experience, competence, proficiency, and ethical standards in the energy management profession.

Awarded through the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), the certification signifies compliance with a board-approved set of requirements including pre-qualifications of field experience, prior educational achievements, and a passing score on the certification exam. The CEM® certification is an industry-wide accepted standard and is recognized as by the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE), the Office of Federal Energy Management Programs (FEMP), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (US AID), as well as by numerous state energy offices, municipal entities, major utilities, and corporations.

Kent, who holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, has more than 20 years of experience in the study, planning, and design of mechanical systems for a wide range of building types. As a key member of GBA's Energy Studio, he heads up the team that focuses on energy studies and audits as well as the design and implementation of recommended energy saving alternatives.   

The CEM® program was established in 1981 to meet the growing needs of individuals and organizations in the field of energy management/energy efficiency.

Congratulations to Kent!