The NUCA Young Professionals group coordinated a project site tour of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project with some of Central Washington University’s Construction Management students and faculty. Ashley Baldwin and Matt Frause have been working with CWU to organize a field trip of this project in conjunction with KLB & Atkinson who are the primary contractors. Our goal is to connect with college students and make them aware of NUCA and aware of the contractors who are affiliated with NUCA in Washington. CWU is one of few colleges who have a construction management major with a Civil-specific focus and classes about utilities and other underground construction.
This field trip was made successful by representatives from Atkinson and KLB; specifically, Jason Cadle of KLB. 12 students and faculty met on the Snoqualmie Pass summit in Atkinson’s project office where we introduced ourselves, met the students, informed them about the project and NUCA. From here, we all boarded a bus and toured the project.
These students were exposed to a wide variety of live work as well as the history behind the project. Additionally, they got to interact with many members of the crews and project staff.
Types of work happening while onsite:
- Concrete Girders were set early in the morning prior to our arrival but everyone was able to walk underneath where the temporary timber soffit was installed for accessing closure pours, etc
- MSE concrete facing walls were being built. One of the facing walls is 57ft above the east bound lane. This will be the new west bound lane
- Excavating, grading, (moving material in haul trucks)
- Reusing materials onsite (rock, aggregate, wood chips, etc) There is very little import or export of material on this project. All concrete was crushed, blast rock was crushed and used under roads, wall backfill, shoulder ballast, gravel borrow, CSBC, CSTC
- Storm structure installation
There was other work occurring but these were the primary activities.
Following the site tour, we all met for a late lunch which provided opportunities for questions from the students, project questions for KLB & Atkinson, and questions about NUCA.
Overall it was a great opportunity for all of us. We have made a small stride in introducing NUCA to CWU and we will continue this effort with other schools and young professionals.
Ashley Baldwin, Jason Lane and I accompanied the students with Jason Cadle/KLB & Jeff Anderson/Atkinson.
A link to the overall project details can be found below.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/SnoqualmiePassEast/