Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Making of a Road



Kansas is known for its quality roads and building good ones means more than just putting down pavement. Typical construction or reconstruction projects generally consist of the following:

Planning:


KDOT collects and evaluates a vast amount of information about the roads including current conditions, traffic volume and crash statistics. This data helps determine what and how to build.
 

 

Design:


Surveys of the road location, surface and terrain, drainage capabilities and other factors are taken to help develop the design. Once the design has been developed, KDOT opens the project for bidding from contractors.



Earthwork:


More than just playing in the dirt, earthwork establishes the stable foundation for the road bed. Contractors build embankments using cuts and fills, and then level the surface out. Gravel layers are also added and compacted to bring the road to its designed height.


 Paving:


It’s finally time to lay down the surface, which is usually asphalt or concrete. The type of material depends on maintenance costs, traffic volume and materials.
 


 Open to Traffic:

Almost…tests are conducted on the new pavement to measure vibrations. If the road is too rough, the pavement must be smoothed out. Striping and permanent markings are also applied. Once it passes inspection, construction zones are removed and the roadway is open for business!



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