Soil Nailing Solution Saves Clients Millions

When B&N began work on the Turfway Road widening project for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), the goal was to reduce traffic congestion. Project engineers achieved this objective and also applied an innovative approach to road widening that ultimately saved the client $10 million.

Located in Florence, Kentucky, Turfway Road passes under the center span of a three-span, 10-lane, I-71/I-75 overpass, with soil embankments located under the flanking spans. Early concepts considered replacing the overpass with a longer structure that would accommodate the road widening – a solution that would have had negative impacts on interstate traffic.

Instead, B&N suggested soil nailing – a method that involved the progressive excavation of the soil embankments under the flanking spans, while maintaining the stability of the embankment. This not only cleared the way for additional lanes under the overpass bridge, but saved KYTC from replacing the entire structure which would have resulted in approximately $10 million in bridge replacement costs.

Unfamiliar with the soil nailing process, construction of this project could have been difficult for KYTC. But with the plans provided by B&N, construction went very smoothly, according to Rick Davis, District Construction Engineer, KYTC. "The soil nailing wall was well designed and we were very pleased with the plans," Davis said.

In addition to the cost-saving soil nailing solution, B&N provided traffic analysis services during the early planning stages of the Turfway Road project.

With commercial development that comes right to the edge of the roadway, the team was challenged to find a solution to the traffic flow issues that would not impact existing buildings and parking areas along the roadway. Using the Federal Highway Administration’s CORSIM (corridor simulation) software, B&N was able to modify the number and length of turn lanes and traffic signalization to improve traffic flow without having to remove any of the roadside structures.

B&N also cleaned up the appearance of overhead utility wires along the road by working with local utility companies to relocate and reduce the number of poles. Utility poles at the City’s entrance were upgraded to an architectural grade to make a more visually appealing gateway into Florence.

Gordon Glass, PE, and Henry Osman, PE, served as project managers.

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