The site of the Ellsworth Road and Gateway Boulevard Utility/Roadway Improvements project is nestled in an area burgeoning with new development as the southeast Mesa and Queen Creek, Arizona area expands rapidly.
The catalyst for this project was the Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft service facility being constructed nearby. Although Sundt isn’t constructing the facility itself, the utility lines and access roads that will serve the new service center are part of this project.
“This is what we call an ‘enabling project’,” said Senior Project Manager Chris Elison. “With this phase of the project, we’re setting up the site for future development. These utilities will not only serve the Gulfstream facility, but eventually other buildings in this area, which will likely be warehousing, hotels and other commercial developments. This project has already led to another work opportunity. We’re calling that phase II, and it will start next year. It involves widening Ellsworth roadway to three lanes in each direction from Ray Road down to Germann Road.”
In under a year, the team at Ellsworth Road has installed 4,027 linear feet of ductile iron waterline and three air release valves, including three jack-and-bores at box culverts, cathodic protection, and other waterline appurtenances to provide potable water to the Gulfstream Development. This ensured that the City of Mesa met their Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
At Gateway Boulevard, the scope includes approximately 900 linear feet of full roadway build-out with ductile iron waterline and PVC sewer line, also including a jack-and-bore, cathodic protection, and other waterline appurtenances to provide potable water to the Gulfstream Development. This ensured that the City of Mesa met their Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. At Gateway Boulevard, the scope includes approximately 900 linear feet of full roadway build-out with ductile iron waterline and PVC sewer line, also including a jack-and-bore, cathodic protection, air release valves and sewer manholes.
Additional work includes third-party utilities, storm drainage, street lighting, electrical, site grading, concrete flatwork and asphalt paving and marking. Finally, at Aviation Way, crews will do a full roadway build-out with 1,190 linear feet of pipe with four fire hydrants, with the same additional work being done at Gateway Boulevard. The project also includes 10,925 linear feet of 16-inch ductile iron waterline and 8,000 linear feet of 24-inch to 15-inch SDR-35 sewer line for future Gateway Boulevard.
Though challenges on the jobsite have been few and far between, the bulk of the work on site had to be done during the peak of the summer. The team braved some intense days to make sure the work was completed on schedule. While Sundt crews in the Southwest are no strangers to these conditions and take heat safety seriously, Central Arizona experiencing record-breaking 31-day streak of highs at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, extra precautions were necessary.
“The most rewarding part of this job has been seeing a lot of familiar faces on this project from the crew we had on the Zone 3D4A Water Transmission Main for the City of Phoenix,” said Elison. “We’ve gotten a lot of compliments from the City of Mesa and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, and I attribute all of that to the hard-working craft out here.”
