Conti received the American Council of Engineering Company’s national Honor Award for Water Resources and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials’ National Rehabilitation Project of the Year.
Suffering from a series of complications since its construction in 1960, the Penn Forest Dam had continuing problems with weep holes, seepage and a 15-foot sink hole. As critical infrastructure, the dam supplies a source of water for the community from the adjacent reservoir. The City of Bethlehem sought to remediate the dam’s structural issues and address flood control protection for the area.
Conti constructed the new dam which included huge structural reinforcements, raising the dam’s walls by three feet to increase spillway capacity. The team constructed the dam walls and lined them with more than 2,000 six-foot-high, sixteen-foot-wide, four-inch-thick concrete panels, weighing over 3,000 pounds per unit.
Conti also constructed two on-site batch plants, one for grout, one for concrete, and a conveyor system to transport roller compacted concrete (RCC) needed for the project. Because of the sophisticated computer system used by the plant, crews kept exact concentrations of ingredients constant. Conti maintained quality control of the RCC by conducting daily tests to ensure proper temperature of the concrete across seasons. The plants operated six days per week, two shifts per day. This approach was very efficient, as it produced 6,000 tons of RCC daily.
Upon completion, the Penn Forest Dam was the third largest RCC project in the US. Conti safely delivered the project on budget, on schedule and with as little disturbance to the surrounding area as possible without losing material due to the elements.
Rotten egg-like smells plagued the residents of Roxbury from late 2012, so the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) chose to cap the Fenimore Landfill to alleviate the problems it posed for Roxbury residents.
The NJDEP investigation determined the odor was caused by hydrogen sulfide generated by debris within the Fenimore Landfill. Although the NJDEP had closed the landfill in 1979, problems for the surrounding community did not arise until the early 2000s. Since then, the NJDEP has taken incremental steps toward remediating the site.
Conti worked with the NJDEP to help reach their goal by capping 19 acres of the 65-acre landfill. The project team relocated existing garbage and waste, excavated 17,500 cubic yards of waste and earth and installed 22,000 square yards of erosion control, 300 linear feet of storm water discharge pipe and 150 linear feet of monitoring wells, in addition to constructing an access road.
The cap itself included 97,000 square yards of geomembrane liner between 49,000 square yards of 6-inch subgrade fill and 96,000 square yards of 12-inch above geomembrane fill. Conti also placed a 97,000-yard composite drainage net over the geomembrane and 102,500 square yards of 6-inch topsoil over the cap.
After the cap was completed, the project team revegetated the site and performed one year of operations and maintenance to monitor the success of the cap. Conti performed the project with zero safety incidents.
Conti supported NJDEP in solving environmental concerns for the people of Roxbury in this high profile project.
Deemed a “financial and social disaster for communities and taxpayers,” a failed housing development project in New Jersey’s Meadowlands in the early 2000s resulted in extensive site contamination.
In 2009, the American Home Assurance Company (AHA) spearheaded a project to remediate the site as part of a surety bond, and New Jersey Governor John Corzine approved the plan.
Conti completed the closure of the Meadowland’s 85-acre landfill with a soil cap as a part of the AHA’s remediation efforts. The landfill included an impermeable soil layer, residential clean fill material, topsoil and landscaping. Conti performed storm drainage installation, methane collection system repairs and leachate collection system modifications. Conti installed water-tight HDPE storm drainage, 110 precast manholes, and drainage swales with a continuous HDPE liner, all through refuse material while avoiding existing landfill utility conflicts. The team also relocated 250,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil.
As one face of the landfill had previously been covered with liner, Conti was required to inspect and repair defects left behind. To protect this liner, a specialty drainage layer and topsoil were placed over the top to allow for stormwater to pass into the drainage system. Conti utilized GPS technology on dozers, resulting in reduced costs in survey and stakeout of the project. Conti’s flexible team approach led to the successful completion of this project and award of the next contract at an adjacent landfill, both on acreage intended for beneficial reuse.
Deemed a “financial and social disaster for communities and taxpayers,” a failed housing development project in the early 2000s resulted in extensive site contamination.
In 2009, a private company spearheaded a project to remediate the site as part of a surety bond, and New Jersey Governor John Corzine approved the plan. Conti performed under a series of closure contracts across the Meadowlands’ different landfill sites for potential non-residential future redevelopment.
Conti’s work consisted of site preparation activities, installation of the balance of a site wide leachate transport system and perimeter engineering controls. Work included the installation of a vertical hydraulic barrier; dewatering of surface water, groundwater and leachate; installation of a leachate collection and transportation pipe, force main systems and pump stations; Viola Ditch modifications, landfill cap installation and site improvements at the Lyndhurst Landfill. Work was completed simultaneously on the Avon Landfill with identical scopes of work.
During the repair and installation of the leachate collection system, Conti placed 14,305 linear feet of 12-inch perforated leachate management pipe with cleanouts and 6 to 8-inch HDPE leachate force main to collect and transport leachate from the landfill to the pump stations and existing collection system. Rehabilitation and construction of onsite pump stations included new power supply; control systems including programmable logic controller and SCADA; flow meters at entrances to force main; air release valves; 4KV and 5KV transformers; and pH and gas meters. Conti pumped leachate from the work area using assorted pumps, sumps, hoses and pipes to transport to a frac holding tank for disposal.
Conti achieved a perfect safety record on this project with zero recordable incidents.
The existing bridge was originally constructed in 1941 and was considered structurally deficient, meaning it was safe to travel on but had reached the end of its useful life.
Conti was contracted to build a new structure that will last for the remainder of the 21st century.
Conti built a temporary, two-lane detour bridge adjacent to the existing structure that allowed travelers and commuters to cross the Eno River with no interruptions during the construction of the new bridge. The new bridge crossing the Eno along U.S. 70 Bypass features a 54-inch-tall concrete and metal railing, which will make the crossing along with the Eno much safer for bicycle traffic.
The newly constructed bridge is 27 feet longer, for a total of 265 feet, a foot wider, and is designed to accommodate a future greenway that could one day pass under the bridge.
One of the busiest and most congested interchanges in New Jersey, the intersection of I-295, I-76 and Route 42 in Camden County handles daily traffic volumes of over 250,000 vehicles and has one of the highest accident rates in the state.
To help solve this problem, the NJDOT reconfigured traffic flow along the ramps and bridges that carry I-295 traffic across Routes 42 and I-76 with the Direct Connection to be completed by 2021. Conti built the second phase of this multi-year project. The work involved the north and southbound lanes of I-295 north of the interchange. This project included demolishing and replacing an existing bridge, building a 500-foot wide bridge that will carry all I-295 traffic, construction of on and off ramps, construction of a temporary bridge, installation of sheeting for tunnel and bridge shoring, and ground improvements and roadway construction.
Work was performed with zero reduction in existing roadway capacity. Conti restricted loud construction activities to designated timeframes to limit disturbing the public in an adjacent cemetery and nearby residential neighborhoods.
This project had design-build components associated with column supported and stage line embankment systems. Conti designed and constructed an embankment system to prevent movement in the adjacent cemetery since tie-backs are not permitted.
Conti minimized the impact to the traveling public and nearby residences by working nights and weekends to deliver the project ahead of schedule. The new overpass provided for three to five travel lanes on I-295 in both directions to cross over Routes 42 and I-76 unimpeded at speeds of 55 mph to alleviate regular congestion and provide a safer long term solution. This project won the Top 10 Roads award for project excellence.
This project can only be described as an effort to make the roads safe, to improve our quality of life, to bring businesses and keep businesses in New Jersey.
Kim Guadagno, NJ Lieutenant Governor
SCDOT needed a new interchange along I-26 to provide direct access to the newly-built Volvo Manufacturing Facility providing 2,000 jobs to local workers.
The SCDOT selected Conti as its design-build contractor to construct a new three-level, three-leg directional interchange along I-26 in Berkeley County, South Carolina. The interchange will provide access from I-26 to the new Volvo Boulevard leading to Camp Hall Commerce Park and the new Volvo Manufacturing Facility.
Conti’s design-build work includes surveys, geotechnical exploration and design, roadway, bridge, traffic and seismic designs, utility coordination, transportation management and HAZMAT studies. The team’s multi-phase construction work will include demolition of existing asphalt pavement; resurfacing and correcting the cross slopes of the existing I-26 mainline within the project limits; performing ground improvements, erosion and sediment controls; and safely maintaining traffic flow. The new interchange includes two ramps at-grade and two flyover, as well as three bridge structures passing over the main interchange and ramps 1 and 4. The team will construct five total miles of new roadway.
As part of the benefits of the design-build project delivery method, the project team successfully coordinated early with the SCDOT for timely approval of its comprehensive design submittal packages. Conti broke ground using the full extent of its resources to enable multiple shift construction operations, reduce the overall schedule for early delivery and minimize impact to the traveling public. Conti sequenced construction to facilitate access to the Volvo plant through a partial interchange opening as early as possible in the project, and prior to substantial completion, in an effort to meet the strict project delivery date.
The construction of this interchange is an important step in providing an interconnected system for driving the state’s economic engine.
Christy Hall, SC Secretary of Transportation
As part of a major highway construction program, this project will reduce traffic congestion by linking roadways throughout North Carolina.
Under a program to link all major highway arteries in North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has contracted a total of 478 major and minor infrastructure construction projects across Interstate 95.
These projects are designed to reduce traffic congestion throughout North Carolina by connecting the highway with major roads. The entire 36-mile Outer Loop route’s projected path will take the freeway from I-95 at its current intersection with US 13 to the west and south of Fayetteville reconnecting with I-95 north of St. Pauls in Robeson County.
Conti constructed a new 6.8-mile stretch of interstate highway from Cliffdale Road to the east of the All American Freeway under the program. This included grading, paving, ground improvements, excavation and disposal of regulated material, utility installation, traffic control, sheeting and piling, formwork, reinforcing steel and concrete, superstructure demolition and erection, retaining walls and noise barriers and sign structures.
Conti’s project management team worked closely with NCDOT and other stakeholders to incorporate this project into the larger Fayetteville Outer Loop program. This included conducting daily and monthly status update meetings with the client. This project and many others under the Outer Loop construction plan were highly public, so Conti performed regular community outreach sessions to provide progress updates and address concerns.
The new bridge relieved major traffic congestion and enhance the Morehead City downtown area.
“Traffic backs up for a mile or a half a mile, and that happens daily,” said Richard Stanley, Chairman of the Carteret County Transportation Committee.
The Graydon Paul bascule drawbridge was the source of this bottleneck, averaging 3,500 openings a year to allow boat traffic to pass through Gallants Channel. Built in 1957 and functionally obsolete because parts to repair the drawbridge are no longer available, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) decided to build a new bridge.
Conti constructed the new fixed span elevated Radio Island Bridge along with a new 3.8 mile highway section of US-70 which will allow through traffic to bypass the town of Beaufort, eliminating further congestion. The elevated bridge has a 65-foot vertical clearance to accommodate boat traffic. This project included a reinforced concrete deck with epoxy coated rebar, concrete piles, massive post tensioned concrete bridge girders, demolition, retaining walls, sound walls and significant drainage including 72-inch reinforced concrete pipe culverts, earthwork and asphalt paving. Major coordination was needed among nearly 20 agencies such as the United States Coast Guard, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to NCDOT’s studies, the new bridge has a $22 million positive economic impact for North Carolina. This project was very high profile and documented regularly by the North Carolina press.
The heavily traveled New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) is a major traffic artery for the Greater New York City area.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority undertook a major program to replace and reconstruct bridge and roadway surfaces in order to maintain this vital traffic route, phasing work to minimize the disruptions to commuters.
Conti reconstructed a high performance structural concrete deck bridge roadway slab over the Hackensack River, spanning over a mile along the eastern spur of the mainline New Jersey Turnpike between exits 15E and 15X. Conti performed seismic retrofits and structural steel repairs, including the removal of existing paint from the structural steel members and applying a new four-coat paint system. The project team removed and reconstructed deck joints, replaced median barriers, modified the wingwalls, repaired the substructure, improved lighting, reconstructed the shoulder structures, resurfaced the deck, and rehabilitated the access walkway.
Conti worked with NJTA and the designer to restage the project by using a half-section barrier system that enabled more flexible staging. The Turnpike Authority was open to this alternative provided the proposed barriers met FHWA specifications. Conti consulted with industry professionals and conducted a crash test to prove the barrier system would safely work and meet the specifications. This resulted in reducing the project from five to four stages and an overall schedule reduction of 7 months. This project was awarded the 52nd Annual NJ Grand Concrete Award by NJ Concrete.
Conti staged the project in this heavily congested traffic artery to reduce the schedule by 7 months.
Located in one of the most heavily traveled areas in the world, State Route 9A, West Street, and Battery Place Underpass required immediate repairs.
After sustaining damages from hauling debris from the World Trade Center site in New York City after the events of September 11, 2001, extensive work was needed to fix the active roadway and tunnel while minimizing disruption in lower Manhattan.
Conti performed a complex and diverse scope of work, including reconstruction and rehabilitation of a major artery and existing tunnel, underground utility improvements, electrical and mechanical improvements to the tunnel, installation of an intelligent transportation system (ITS) with conduit and fiber optic communication cables and wireless CCTV cameras, storm drainage upgrades, and roadway reconstruction. The team also installed 175,000 square feet of solid granite pavers for new bikeways and pedestrian promenades, and provided landscaping for the creation of a linear urban park (with over 200 trees, 7,000 shrubs and 10,000 perennial flowers).
Conti performed challenging structural work involved with the new extension of the tunnel roof slab to allow for a U-turn at grade for cars and buses. The team managed heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic throughout the project, constructing bypass roadways and temporarily widened the existing travel way for two active lanes of traffic to accommodate the public. Conti completed the project successfully and safely two months ahead of schedule.
Construction Achievement Award, Project of the Year – American Society of Civil Engineers Award of Merit, Highway & Roadway
New York Construction Magazine
The bridge now serves over 200,000 commuters each day as a major connection between Queens and the Bronx via Interstate 678 over the East River in New York City.
Opened as a four-lane suspension bridge in 1939, the 72-year-old structure, which had been increased to six lanes over the years, needed further capacity improvements as well as modernization.
Conti reconstructed the Bronx approach for this major historic continuous span steel bridge, which included widening the bridge deck, adding two lanes to the approach, demolishing and replacing the old piers and upgrading the lower garage service building. Utilizing careful orchestration and skilled project management, Conti’s first step was to construct new piers and install multi-rotational bearings which were critical schedule items for the new steel installation. This drove concrete pours and ultimately the phased traffic shifts. The team constructed extensive temporary shoring to support the existing piers so sections could be demolished in stages.
Implementing complex phasing to minimize impact on the heavy traffic flow, the team constructed new piers in advance of deck demolition under the existing structure, requiring low headroom equipment to install mini-piles for pier construction. These difficult drilling conditions for the mini-piles restricted the use of traditional equipment, so Conti deployed a highly innovative percussive down-hole hammer along with grouting through the hammer bit to successfully install the mini-piles.
The team used a movable barrier system so three lanes of traffic remained opened in the peak direction during rush hour, and all lane closures successfully met the 319-day restriction window.
Serving over 240,000 vehicles per weekday, the Alfred E. Driscoll over the Raritan River is one the busiest commuter links in the U.S.
The bridge was built in 1954 and was expanded to accommodate increasing traffic in 1972, but was due for another overhaul in the early 2000s because of increasing traffic demands and general wear and tear. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority planned to renovate this bridge (#127.2) to significantly increase its carrying capacity.
Conti rehabilitated the 4,000 foot long bridge with 15 lanes, making it the widest bridge in the U.S. The team completed demolition, removal, and reconstruction of two parallel bridge deck superstructures each 65 feet wide. Conti realigned the approaches, relocated utilities, performed steel rehabilitation, replaced bridge bearings and steel bolsters, and installed roadway lighting and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) facilities. Bridge renovations were completed without disruption to traffic in any lane.
To combat the potential danger of deck demolition and steel repair debris falling into the river, Conti designed and fabricated an innovative Catch System (patent pending). As an extra advantage, this system provided the workforce with a weight-bearing platform. In addition, the project required extensive concrete pours, so Conti reached out to Rutgers University engineers to design a special concrete mix for the project. The result was High Performance Concrete (HPC), which is more durable and longer lasting than typical concrete.
Conti implemented a “Catch System” to allow safe work under the bridge without having to perform marine work, the first time this technique had ever been used.
This multi-faceted iconic project constructed by Conti was delivered to the community on time and on budget.
Constant congestion on major traffic routes threatens economic vitality. This was the problem the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) faced in New Brunswick. NJDOT launched a major project with the goal of improving accessibility and aesthetics through the route’s busiest section: the two-mile-long corridor through New Brunswick. This was the largest project NJDOT had ever undertaken.
Conti completed all operations quickly and affordably, garnering rave reviews from NJDOT and other stakeholders. The team constructed four vehicular bridges and four pedestrian bridges, as well as increasing the carrying capacity of the existing four-lane highway to eight lanes. Conti installed eight 66-foot, 33-ton span barrels in just two days, thanks to an innovative installation method using hydraulic structures which saved time on the project. Additionally, the team installed seven cast-in-place retaining walls.
The project required 186,000 tons of asphalt, 50,000 cubic yards of recycled concrete aggregate, 39,000 cubic yards of granular base and 124 linear feet of curb. The team encountered delays due to unforeseen utilities but quickly responded by developing a value engineering proposal for a major foundation change. Once approved by NJDOT and implemented by the project team, the new approach kept the project on schedule and budget.
Conti met NJDOT’s goals for improved highway operations, safety and aesthetics and received several awards for project excellence, including the 2010 Project of the Year from Engineering News-Record.
The project was completed on time, on budget and during the four years of construction, created 600 jobs.
The last project in the $450 million infrastructure upgrade, called the Secaucus Interchange and Rail Transfer Station Program (SIP), was to connect 11 rail lines in northern New Jersey to reduce passenger commute times and increase destinations.
The program included the construction of a new rail station, expansion of the rail line from two to four tracks, and development of an $84 million interchange on the New Jersey Turnpike expressway (I-95). This portion of the project entailed constructing bridges and expanding local roads in Secaucus to handle the increase in traffic.
Conti rehabilitated the New Country Road bridges (SIP 501 project). Work included a dual-span bridge built over a rail yard and a single-span bridge built over ramps leading to a busy roadway. The team coordinated daily with Norfolk Southern, Conrail, and Hudson County to develop a detour that would minimize traffic impact and support extensive truck traffic.
Conti handled utility relocations for electrical, gas, telecom, sanitary, drainage, and fiber-optic lines. The team drove steel sheeting down the center of the road and built a temporary ramp to separate live traffic from work operations. Conti also developed a wetland mitigation and enhancement plan.
The team used an innovative slip form design mix technique during the concrete bridge parapet construction process, as well as re-staging work to meet an aggressive fast tracked schedule for the project. This and other time- and money-saving techniques won Conti excellent reviews from the NJTA.
Conti’s team approach and positive attitude were key to maintaining schedules in a highly congested area with numerous constraints.
Assistant Chief Engineer, Construction, NJTA
NJ’s Secaucus Junction currently offers unparalleled commuter convenience, but this was not always so.
Before the turn of the century, travelers had limited options on where they could commute to. Looking to change this, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) developed the Secaucus Interchange and Rail Transfer Station Program (SIP), which included a series of projects designed to connect 11 rail lines in the northern part of the state.
Of the eight contracts associated with this program, Conti was awarded five. This project, SIP-301, for Exit 15X of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95), provided access to the newly built Secaucus Junction Station serving over 17,000 passengers daily.
Conti constructed a 3,100 linear foot, high level curved ramp structure spanning over the very active NJ Transit Main Line. The project consisted of 21 spans, 900 concrete-filled pipe piles, two abutments, two crash walls, and 44 pier caps. The foundations for the piers and abutments rested on concrete-filled pipe piles. The team built the reinforced concrete bridge deck in a series of 77 pours. Bridge piers were constructed atop foundations built in designated wetlands over an active rail line. The project required extensive coordination and planning for traffic management around the site, as well as scheduling of multiple subcontractors and vendors, and coordination with adjacent contractors. Conti received ACI’s Grand Award for Outstanding Concrete Project of the Year.
“Conti worked extremely well with the authority and others to successfully solve issues in the field.”
Assistant Chief Engineer, Construction, NJTA
Consistently ranked as one of America’s most productive ports, the Port of Charleston has traded over $63 billion of imports and exports across its docks to date.
In the late 2010s, South Carolina rail company Palmetto Railways launched a multi-phase project to improve the port’s economic throughput and traffic flow. Palmetto Railways’ overall goal was to redevelop portions of the site of the former Charleston Naval Complex into an Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) in order to increase South Carolina’s throughput capacity and meet projected future intermodal growth within the region.
Conti performed Phase 1 of the ICTF project, which involved the demolition of dilapidated buildings, site grading and surcharge, and paving of portions of the 130-acre site to support future infrastructure development. Conti obtained the encroachment permit, site clearing permit, and digging permit for this project.
The team demolished and removed nearly 60 buildings and obstructions on the site, including large naval training centers and over 41,300 square yards of concrete from foundations, slabs, and sidewalks. During the earthwork, the team excavated and removed over 92,000 feet of pipes at depths down to 15 feet.
Conti excavated a large amount of unmarked utilities throughout the project. The team avoided schedule delays by coordinating with Palmetto Railways and local utility companies such as North Charleston Sewer and Water immediately after uncovering potential conflicts. Conti’s then marked the location of the utilities on an evolving site layout to better predict where the next conflict would be found.
This project is the first phase in the plan to remediate and redevelop land for the benefit of Charleston’s economy.
Large vehicles could not easily pass under railroad bridges on Long Island.
The North Highway Bridge, Montauk Highway Bridge and Shinnecock Canal Bridge, built about 100 years ago, required rehabilitation. Based on routine bridge inspections, the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) determined these aging bridges were in need of modernization to extend the life of the bridges by 35 to 40 years.
Conti closely coordinated with LIRR to complete this project successfully. To accommodate the vehicle heights, the vertical roadway clearances of Montauk Highway and North Highway Bridges were increased by 6 inches. The Shinnecock Bridge superstructure and substructure elements were repaired, along with lead abatement, painting, waterproofing and other critical structural improvements. The Shinnecock Bridge rehabilitation work was done over an active waterway and required close coordination with the US Coast Guard. Conti performed lead abatement and steel repairs using a containment system. Existing piers and abutments were refurbished by installing soil anchors, replacing bearings and repairing concrete spalls.
In order to raise the bridges and set new approaches, 72-hour outages were required by the railroad to disconnect the rails. Conti closely coordinated with LIRR to ensure rail service resumed as scheduled. These outages were scheduled over a year in advance to accommodate the 5,490 passengers who ride the Montauk line on an average weekday.
Conti worked with LIRR to achieve transparent communication and coordination of the project. The team completed all four 72-hour track outages on time without impacting train or canal traffic.
“Rebuilding these bridges, the oldest of which has stood for more than 100 years, will provide a much needed boost to the economy.” – LIRR President, Helena Williams
Conti helped link historic and modern downtown Newark, enabling the city to continue to set the standard for urban transformation.
A significant part of the redevelopment of downtown Newark, New Jersey’s largest city, was the Newark-Elizabeth Rail Link (NERL) extension project. This high-volume urban commuter light rail connects the newly upgraded Penn Station with the historic Broad Street Station on the Morris and Essex line to serve a new Performing Arts Center, Bear’s Baseball Stadium and Washington Park.
Conti was the general contractor for the project, constructing three miles of embedded track work with catenary structures for power traction, new signal systems and five new station stops. The team performed a complex scope of work, including excavation requiring temporary retaining structures, at-grade site improvements, retaining walls, underground tunnel work, rail bridges, roadway work, structural and architectural work, concrete pouring and asphalt paving.
The team was responsive and flexible to the needs of the project. For example, when the State Historical Preservation Office saw one of the rail bridges held historic significance, the team rehabilitated it instead of constructing a new bridge. Repairs were more significant than anticipated by the client, so Conti set up a drill punch metal fabrication area on site so panels were expedited and schedule was maintained.
Conti completed the project on an aggressive schedule working in a bustling urban environment over 10 major roads and next to very active highways. Conti coordinated tie-ins to live rail tracks, working around the clock to minimize track closures. The team kept in constant communication with local businesses in order to sequence work to meet stakeholder needs.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Newark’s Broad Street Station is both historic and functional, serving as a major transfer facility for over 27,000 New Jersey commuters per day.
The century-old facility lacked a state-of-the-art communications center that could facilitate electronic linking to New Jersey Transit’s main control center. Display boards and the public announcement system were out of date. The station was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also, one of the station’s tracks required a new platform to put it into service.
Conti demolished a nearby brick shelter so that the old bricks could be used for the new construction. We replaced turn-of-the-century terrazzo flooring, a plaster ceiling, and marble trim to resemble the look and feel of the station when it had first opened in 1903. Conti also built a communication center that houses all hardware required for the operation of computerized communication devices, and additionally, electronically linking up the Broad Street communication center with NJ Transit’s main control center.
Inside the station, Conti rebuilt nine administrative offices; installed new HVAC, emergency generator, CCTV and boiler heating systems; demolished and rebuilt 20-foot ceilings and plaster walls, painted, upgraded plumbing and associated pipes, and installed all communication lines through the building for high-speed internet. Conti also installed two new hydraulic elevators in and outside the newly renovated building.
The New Jersey Office of Historical Preservation recognized the Broad Street building as an excellently constructed facility at project completion.
Connecting major shipping facilities at two ports, the Oak Island Rail Yard is an important rail car storage area for east coast rail routes.
The yard is located north of the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Newark International Airport in an industrial area of the Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey. The client planned to increase the capacity of the freight rail yard, as well as some of the main lines between the yards, in addition to solving track flooding problems.
Conti cleared, raised and realigned three miles of rail track in three busy Norfolk-Southern rail yards within a three-mile radius. Work also included installing crossover switches, signals, drainage, and underground utility installation. The new tracks were installed through existing wetlands. Conti required all workers to attend Conrail/Norfolk Southern rail safety and track training, as well as hold Certified NJ Transit Track Safety Awareness clearance. The result was zero lost time safety recordable incidents for the project.
A critical element of the project was to minimize disturbance to Conrail’s operations. The yard sees traffic of at least 30 trains each day. Conti extensively communicated and coordinated with the client on rail track closures to avoid impact to daily operations. The team delivered the project on an aggressive schedule to facilitate Conrail’s peak season yard operations for winter holiday rush.
Completing the tracks in the new rail car storage yard allowed Conrail to move rail cars to the new facility in order to begin expansion work on the old storage area.
Conti’s conscientious planning and coordination kept rail traffic on schedule during the entire project.
Serving nearly 260,000 New Jersey and New York passengers per week, the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) system has provided a popular and safe underground public mass transit network for over 100 years.
The PATH Corporation, a subsidiary of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), owns and operates these trains 24 hours per day along 14 miles of track. To keep these transit lines safe and operational PANYNJ required improvements to the system’s F Tunnel aging infrastructure.
Conti overcame unique challenges to perform the complex renovations of the F Tunnel. Conti’s work included constructing new reinforced concrete walls and reinforcing existing ones, surgical demolitions and removal or existing utilities, construction of a new foundation, interior finish restoration, and installation of a stainless steel security partition.
The team retrofitted these new structural elements to pre-existing underground tunnel and platform structures that dated back to the early 1900s while maintaining weekday commuter rail operations through the tunnel. Conti staged work from a remote PATH facility where trains were provided by PATH to move all materials and equipment to and from the underground tunnel work site. Even though all work had to be completed during weekend track outages, Conti completed the project on time and budget, including the labor-intensive concrete foundation preparatory stage in which the team removed rock of 15,000 to 20,000 psi compressive strength under the low headroom space of the tunnel.
Conti’s construction efforts provided advanced security and infrastructure upgrades to this century old rail transit system.
In a landmark project for the state of New Jersey, and the nation as a whole, New Jersey Transit called for the construction of the 34-mile long Southern New Jersey Light Rail Transit System (SNJLRTS).
The SNJLRTS operates state-of-the-art light rail vehicles over an existing Conrail right-of-way between Trenton and Camden, NJ, parallel to the Delaware River, and serves as one of the state’s most important and widely used modes of transportation. The huge project would require complex track relocation, building demolition, and associated environmental aspects.
Conti was the constructor on Bechtel’s Design Build Operate Maintain team for New Jersey Transit, coordinating with multiple subs and adjacent contractors to bring this portion of the $700 million project to successful completion. Due to the complex nature of this large program, Conti tackled a number of challenging scopes including a 34-miles rail corridor, a yard shop, 20 station stops, 17 bridges, and 50 grade crossings that traversed the middle of small towns, historic districts, and sensitive wetlands areas. The team tailored its QA/QC plan specifically for the SNJLRTS project to meet NJT standards. This was especially important during the track relocation phase of the project, as Conti was required to demolish buildings directly adjacent to historical structures. Conti was responsible for utility construction, earthwork, track bed preparation, retaining walls, paving, demolition of buildings, site work and concrete work, environmental remediation and traffic control.
The team completed the project on time and within budget, and helped deliver one of America’s foremost transportation systems.
Conti’s work resulted in the first track diesel light rail system in the United States.
At one of the world’s largest and most heavily trafficked airports, Conti helps Newark Liberty maintain its aviation fueling system to industry and environmental standards.
Newark Liberty International Airport’s current fuel system was constructed in 1970 and needed repairs and upgrades to meet industry standards requiring centralized purchasing of Jet-A fuel for all users, which simplifies multi-pump fuel supply systems and piping networks. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey called for upgrades to the current system, allowing it to function more efficiently.
Conti was responsible for Phase I of a three-phase multi-year fuel system modification program. We decommissioned the old single-wall welded steel pipe and installed approximately 29,000 linear feet of buried 22-inch double-wall steel pipe for the aviation fuel main line. The pipe included sensors for fuel leak detection and runs from the South Fuel Farm to the new Fuel Serving Area and reconnects to the Central Terminal Area. The pipeline routing will benefit a new Terminal A.
A two-position truck fill station loading rack was instructed airside next to the new Contact Water Treatment Facility (CWTF). This strategic location allows for faster fueling and results in less traffic. The new CWTF consists of three holding tanks, one reclaim tank and an oil water separator.
Modifications were also made to various components of the fueling system including valves, pumps and electrical controls. These changes will reduce both maintenance and electrical costs.