E.S. Wagner Co. was the prime contractor on three phases of the State Route 74 bypass around Shelby, North Carolina for Division 12 of the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The three segments were actually awarded in two contracts with the AB and B projects selling as a combination that could be selected by bidders. In total, the corridor consisted of more than eight miles of new four lane grade preparation and four complete interchanges.
The Bypass was a major grading and drainage undertaking with more than 2.7 million cubic yards of excavation and around 500,000 cubic yards of borrow required. Completing the earthwork scope required E.S. Wagner to implement six separate and specialized grading spreads with as many as four operating simultaneously. The nearly nine miles of pipe on the projects range in size from 15” to 72” in diameter. Nearly all of the larger diameter drainage installations on the project require maintenance of existing waterways forcing careful attention to erosion control and proper care for the adjacent properties and surrounding wildlife habitat.
From a structures perspective, the project consisted of a total of thirteen bridges and two double barrel box culverts. Eight of the bridges are side by side mainline structures on US 74 crossing significant waterways, other state routes and an active CSX double track. The substructure designs on the bridges differ greatly and utilize driven 12” and 14” bearing piles and 24” diameter friction piles totaling approximately 23,000 in total driven length. The final three bridges on the corridor are located in close proximity to rock strata and use 54” drilled shafts and spread footings on rock for substructure support. When all the major structures and culverts were completed, more than 12,000 cubic yards of structural concrete will have been placed.
