VDOT’s Route 29 Solutions Project Wins ACEC Virginia Pinnacle Award

The Route 29 Solutions design-build project, led by RK&K, has won the 2018 Pinnacle Award from ACEC Virginia. As the highest honor given by the chapter, it recognizes projects demonstrating innovation, complexity, achievement, and value to the industry. Project manager Nate Dumas, PE (second from left) represented Schnabel, which was one of three major subconsultants on RK&K’s team. Nate and Jim Seli, PE, both based in our Richmond office, were instrumental to the success of the geotechnical and geostructural portions of the work and were well-supported by an in-house team of engineers and scientists.

RK&K worked in partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the contractor LANE/Corman Joint Venture to deliver the Route 29 Solutions project which consisted of three distinct project elements: Route 29 and Rio Road Grade Separated Intersection (GSI); Route 29 Widening from four lanes to six lanes for approximately 1.8 miles from Polo Grounds Road to Towncenter Drive; and Berkmar Drive, an extension of 2.3 miles on new alignment from Hilton Heights Road to Towncenter Drive.

The 2018 Pinnacle Award focused on the Rio Road GSI, for which RK&K was the design leader.  The innovations developed during design led to early completion and opening of the intersection and has led to improved safety and mobility in this heavily traveled corridor. The $69.7 million Rio Road grade-separated intersection project was completed in December 2016. Replacement of the existing at-grade intersection with a grade-separated intersection accomplished VDOT’s goals of easing congestion and improving safety for motorists in the area. The Rio Road grade remained essentially unchanged, whereas Route 29 was reconstructed to separate through traffic and local traffic exiting at Rio Road. Four through lanes (two each direction) were constructed underneath Rio Road to carry traffic with destinations north or south. Local lanes were built to the outside of the through lanes so traffic with local destinations can leave Route 29 onto Rio Road or access the businesses near the intersection.

The Pinnacle Award is one of several that the overall project has won. Others are a Grand Award from ACEC Virginia, and Overall Winner, Transportation Engineering Awards, presented by the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance.
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