Project Profile: Transform I-66 Outside the Beltway

Show Notes

Transportation Director Stuart Samberg, PE, PTP, PTOE, RSP, DBIA (Richmond, Transportation-Traffic) said designing solutions to transform the I-66 corridor just outside Washington, DC near the capital beltway was no easy feat.

Design of the roundabout at I-66 at Nutley Street. The design improvements reduced overall right-of-way impacts, allowing the team to design a shared-use path (SUP) system.

RK&K provided final roadway design services for three separate sections of the “Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” project in northern Virginia: Route 123 in the vicinity of the I-66 interchange, the I-66 at Nutley Street Interchange, and approximately one mile near I-495.

The $3.7 billion project is a public-private partnership (P3) between the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), and private partner, I-66 Express Mobility Partners. The project aims to transform the area into a multimodal corridor to improve mobility, safety, and reliability for people living and working in that area.

“This was a contract that we were originally slated to do $50,000 worth of work under just to help them out originally. We ended up doing almost $13 million worth of work when it was all said and done,” Stuart said. “We were brought in after the project was already under construction, and there were a lot of moving parts as we got up to speed on the design efforts.”

At Route 123, RK&K made design adjustments to account for the inclusion of a new road connection to the south of I-66, and horizontal and vertical adjustments to Route 123 north of I-66 to better align lanes between the interchange and adjacent intersections.

For the Nutley Street interchange, as part of a value engineering effort, the team determined a roundabout interchange concept would operate more efficiently and eliminate the need for construction of a second structure.

“It was originally diverging diamond and we came up with a roundabout concept that saved the contractor $30 million,” Stuart added. “It gave us a unique opportunity because the roundabout design reduced the overall right-of-way impacts by almost an acre. We were able to fit in additional connections with the extra space.”

The extra space allowed the team to design a shared-use path (SUP) system that does not have any at-grade crossings with Nutley Street or the interchange ramps. Stuart said the team’s collaboration with county officials and the bicycling community resulted in design changes benefiting the community.

“A person could make their way as a bicyclist or pedestrian through that interchange without ever having to cross traffic because of some additional connections that we were able to fit in,” he said.

The team also developed a sequence to ensure the existing traffic ramps remained open while the new dual roundabout configuration was constructed.

Near I-495, a preliminary design was completed by others and RK&K was asked to redesign the horizontal alignment of the eastbound lanes in this segment to avoid an existing WMATA Traction Power Substation and to redesign the vertical alignment in both the eastbound and westbound directions to minimize the amount of reconstruction of the existing pavement required in this area.

“We started with one thing and then they added Nutley when we came up with that idea, and then they added something else, and then they added something else, and before you know, it, we were touching a number of significant portions of the project,” Stuart noted.

RK&K also performed complete drainage and erosion and sediment control design for the one-mile mainline segment near I-495 as well as the Nutley Road interchange. Extensive coordination was required to adjust the existing closed drainage system to avoid conflicts with proposed retaining walls along the proposed interchange ramps.

RK&K was also responsible for the complete traffic control device and ITS design. This included design of all overhead and ground-mounted signing, including extensive Guide Sign design for five miles of the I-66 mainline and all associated interchanges.

For the easternmost five miles of the project, RK&K prepared photometric analysis and lighting plans for the I-66 mainline (General Purpose and Express Lanes), three interchanges, and shared-use paths, including underpasses, to ensure the design and pole placement was compliant with design guidance. Our team also provided services for the Final Design Noise Analysis Report for this section of the project and the balloting for all noise walls based on the revised designs.

The team’s involvement with the project started in 2018, and Stuart said a big challenge was evolving as the pandemic was evolving. He said the overall team approach RK&K took was something the clients appreciated.

Our holistic approach didn’t change. When you’re dealing with a big project like this, no matter who picked up the phone when the client called, they got the same professional technical response. It’s an incredible testament to our folks we have at the firm.Transportation Director Stuart Samberg PE, PTP, PTOE, RSP, DBIA

Despite the changes the world was going through during the pandemic, Stuart said one of the smartest things the team did was not panicking or rushing into making big changes.

“Sometimes doing nothing is the right approach because we just we knew nothing about COVID and I think the smartest thing we did was not try to overreact, just stay focused on getting our work done and keeping the client happy,” he added. “We kept in touch, made sure that everybody was doing their stuff, made sure everybody knew what the deadlines were, and made sure that we were still being responsive to the contractor because the contractors’ lives were changing by the minute, just like ours were.”

Stuart said he hopes the communities along the project appreciate this transformational project.

“Particularly the work we did at Nutley St. to make a slower, more community-friendly and community-oriented design, they see the added amenities from the project that makes their lives better every day. Not just because it makes traffic easier where they live, but it improves the aesthetics of their community.”

Stuart said the team deserves all the credit for constantly taking on additional tasks.

“The client just kept handing stuff to us because of other work we did that went so well for them. None of the stuff we pursued or had an original contract to do. I think it’s incredible. All the people who touched this project had a lot more to do with the success than I did.”