Caltrans 08-448404 Route 91 HOV Project

The project included construction of 11 Bridge Structures, 54 Retaining Walls, and over 40,000 LF of Concrete Barrier while widening and adding 1 HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) Lane in each direction for a 6.1 mile section of SR-91 through a heavily congested portion of Riverside, CA. The primary objective of the 91 HOV project was to add a dedicated HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) Lane to encourage carpooling and reduce traffic congestion on State Route 91 in Riverside, CA. The project widened SR-91 through the City of Riverside from Adams Street to the SR-60/91/I-215 Interchange. In addition to the primary goal of this project, the project included widening and expansion of the existing freeway, Interchange Improvements, Structures with Architectural Treatment to improve the aesthetic of the corridor, and the Construction of a Railroad Bridge over the Freeway, which included the use of a shoofly bridge to enable construction of the new structure. The project also included drainage and stormwater improvements to address environmental concerns in the area.

Major Achievements

Construction highlights included phased construction of 10 intersections that had to be constructed concurrently in order to complete the project within the specified timeframes. SEMA used innovative Construction techniques including constructing the EB braided ramp on grade to eliminate the need for heavy falsework. The project involved complicated coordination efforts between state, local and railroad jurisdictions.

Savings

On bid day, SEMA’s price to perform the work saved Caltrans over $4M compared to the next responsive bidder. In the field, the innovation of constructing the EB braided ramp on grade saved Caltrans falsework costs as well as eliminating safety risks associated with temporary structure construction.