In honor of National Public Lands Day, we’re revisiting an infrastructure project that helps people access one of the wildest rivers in the world.

DEERLODGE PARK, Co. — Tucked at the opposite end of Dinosaur National Monument’s famous Quarry
Exhibit Hall, a fossil museum that received , lies a lesser-known yet equally
breathtaking attraction.

The Deerlodge Park Campground offers seven first-come, first-serve campsites for travelers to pitch a
tent among the towering cottonwoods of Colorado — and look up at the stars in .
However, most people only come here to enter the Yampa River.

Known for thwarting proposed on its waters (except a few minor diversions),
the Yampa remains the least-regulated tributary in the Colorado River Basin.

But extended summers are shortening the floating season. And because the flow of the river depends on how fast snow melts, are causing the Yampa to flood more intensely, straining vital infrastructure.

Bringing Resources to the Wild

As flooding continues to in the national register, Federal Land Management
Agencies (FLMAs) must augment their staffs to handle a backlog of transportation projects.
Enter the Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH).

Responsible for more than 30 percent of the nation’s land, including over 500,000 miles of roads, the
FLH serves to solve and manage challenges that are wide-ranging in environment, geography, and
complexity.

From building the Hoover Dam Bypass over the Colorado River Gorge to reconstructing Pennsylvania
Avenue in front of the White House, the FLH and partnered agencies pioneer some of the most unique
transportation projects in the country.

Prepare to Stop, Danger Ahead

The Deerlodge Park Campground periodically floods during Colorado’s spring snowmelt. After decades
of enduring, Deerlodge Road and its supporting infrastructure were
beginning to crumble.

The drainage system, which only received touch-ups since being installed in 1966, was failing under
heavier, unprecedented loads of water. Ten of the 93 culverts carrying runoff under the roadway had
severely eroded. Another two were past repair.

This contributed to subsurface instability that accelerated the pavement’s decline, especially in
designated parking areas.

Additionally, the that monument officials installed in 2003 was deteriorating, inching the Yampa
10 feet closer to the road every year, an environmental review found.

Dinosaur had an imminent riverbank failure on its hands — and 12.7 miles of roadway to mend.

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Mobilizing for Universal Access

In coordination with the National Park Service (NPS), the CFLHD proposed a $5.6-million restoration.
After receiving endorsement from the Department of Interior (DOI), the CFLHD deployed a taskforce to
the easternmost end of Dinosaur’s 211,000-acre expanse.

And in four months, a hybrid field crew:

• Installed exposed-rock riprap with a “launchable toe,” a stabilization measure that autocorrects
  through time, to armor the riverbank.
• Removed and resurfaced the existing 12.7 miles of pavement with a fresh layer of hot asphalt.
• Enhanced parking areas, including curb and gutter replacements, for better functionality.
• Applied cement treatment to pavement cavities to reinforce subgrade.
• Repaired, relocated, and added culverts to improve drainage flow.

From inception to completion, the project aligned with stringent quality standards and ecological
considerations, and �鶹TV��վ Technical Consultants was hired as the Construction Management leader for
the project.. Along with delivering construction management and field inspection services, �鶹TV��վ
provided a Technical Advisor (COTA), Construction Inspector (CI), and off-site project administrators to
ensure success.

Building the Foundation for Public Lands Work

Beyond serving a recreational purpose, Deerlodge Park Road enables biologists to care after critical
habitats. It allows park rangers to engage the next generation of conservationists through school
programs. And it grants private landowners total control of their properties.

If you’re interested in learning more about �鶹TV��վ’ services and FLH project experience, contact the
Project Manager Patrick Young, P.E. or Lee Kunselman P.E., PMP.

The new fire station in Decatur, Ga., is one of five being constructed as part of a county-wide infrastructure improvement program.

In 2017, voters in DeKalb County, Ga., overwhelmingly approved a one-cent sales tax increase to fund infrastructure improvements. As the last county in the Atlanta metro area to implement a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), residents were well aware of the positive impact these improvements could have on their communities. Expectations were high. “The public trusted us with this investment, and we had to deliver,” says Zach Williams, DeKalb County’s chief operating officer. “With our staff deep into the day-to-day operations of running the county, we knew we were going to need support to augment our staff and help us define and execute the projects we had identified.”

After conducting a qualification based selection process, county officials selected �鶹TV��վ Technical Consultants, a national provider of program management and construction management services. “They were simply the best fit. We were aware of their reputation based on their work on other SPLOSTs throughout the state. And they’ve done an outstanding job,” Williams says.

Since 2018, �鶹TV��վ has been supporting DeKalb County with a multidisciplinary team of designers, managers, schedulers, cost estimators, construction inspectors and administrative support personnel. The sixyear program is expected to result in $400 million in funding for projects such as safety and signal improvements, sidewalks and multi-use trails, updated public safety equipment and facilities, and capital improvements to parks, public clinics, senior centers and libraries. The largest investment is being directed toward resurfacing roadways throughout the county. “With four active paving contracts currently underway, the county is on pace to repave 100 miles of roadway this year. Prior to SPLOST, they only had the resources to see to 10 to 12 miles each year. It’s really been a success story, and all for just that extra penny,” says Chris Kingsbury, program manager for �鶹TV��վ.

On June 12, more than 200 residents and firefighters attended the grand opening of a new 􀀁re station in the southwest corner of the county– the first in almost a decade. The previous facility was constructed in 1953 and due for an overhaul, but it was not merely a brick-and-mortar improvement. “Chris and his team used these projects to not only modernize the structure but to modernize the way our firefighters carry out their duties. These are the people who are running into burning buildings and they deserve a clean, safe and welcoming environment. We’re also including community rooms in the new firehouses (a total of five will be built) to promote oneness with the community,” Williams says.

DeKalb County’s robust business community is also benefiting from the program. The 20% small business commitment included in the SPLOST agreement has been exceeded each year and mentorprotégé arrangements have been developed to provide valuable work experience to disadvantaged businesses.

For leaders in the county, it was important to use the program as a means of raising the profile of DeKalb, while also providing a higher quality of life for its residents. “It has given DeKalb County an opportunity to assert its place in the metro Atlanta area. We haven’t been able to invest in our infrastructure like other jurisdictions that have had SPLOSTs for decades. This has been a game-changer not only in how our county looks but also in giving our residents a reason to have faith in their government. And �鶹TV��վ has been a great partner in making that happen,” Williams says.

Communication and transparency have been keys to the program’s success. Using the county’s GIS system, project progress is updated and made available to the public. Residents can simply go to the county’s website, click on a penny icon and then enter their address to see a list of improvements that have been made in their neighborhood. An email hotline was set up where issues can be reported and complaints lodged, but the inbox has remained largely empty. “I think we’ve only had to respond to around five issues, which is just a testament to how the work is being delivered,” says Williams.

SPLOST programs are unique to the state of Georgia, the first was created in 1985, and �鶹TV��վ has become the go-to consultant for a majority of the programs in the Atlanta metro area, along with others throughout the state. �鶹TV��վ also does similar CIP development and administration work for public agencies around the country. “I don’t think of �鶹TV��վ as a consultant— they’re part of us,” Williams says “They have an office that’s closer to me than some of our department heads and we meet on a regular basis. You can definitely say they’re embedded in our staff, and that’s where we need them to be.”

Published by Engineering News-Record (ENR) – Environmental Management On July 1, 2023