Job fair successful, expect delays on I-30

PRESCOTT – Rain didn’t stop people from coming to the Stokes Center at Central Baptist Church Thursday morning for a job fair.

Red Stone Construction was looking for 10-15 people initially, though the number could be increased to 20-25 later on, to work on the upcoming I-30 construction project. The church parking lot filled up early and stayed that way.

Jack Sullivan, project superintendent, said Red Stone had hoped to start at midnight Sunday, but with the rain, will have to wait until 8 p.m. Tuesday. When asked why the project will begin at night, he said the company is only allowed to have lane closures from 8 p.m. until 10 a.m. and this is when the bulk of the work will be done. However, he added, there will be some long-term closure when work is being done on the shoulders because the company is having to dig down 19 inches, basically to the road’s base, and rebuild it. “We hope there will be minimal traffic problems,” he said.

The project’s contract is for 510 days, depending on the weather. Sullivan, though, said he hopes they can be finished sooner. This is a first, he said, as the state is allowing 20 miles of highway to be worked on under one contract. Actually, he said, it will be 40 miles as the project will be on both sides of I-30 from Exit 36 at Emmet to Mile Marker 59 near the rest stop.

Some bridges will also be affected by the construction work as they’ll be getting a new topping of asphalt, after the existing layer is removed. The bridges involved include the one on county road 332, both overpasses in Prescott, and two on I-30, though those won’t affect traffic on the interstate. Three of the bridges on the interstate, Sullivan said, will require closure as asphalt has to be milled off before more can be laid down.

In addition, the exit ramps at 44 and 46 in Prescott will see some construction and be closed briefly, but both won’t be closed at the same time. The closings, he said, will be as short as possible.

According to Sullivan one lane of the interstate will always be open, barring accident or mishap. An AWIN system will be in place showing traffic speed, and signage will be in place letting motorists know to slow down for the construction as well as to merge into the open lane. Both sides of I-30 will be worked on at the same time, he said, which will slow traffic, but the idea is to make sure things are as safe as possible for motorists and workers alike.

Sullivan said traffic won’t be shunted from the interstate onto Hwy. 67, adding the company has no control of people getting off I-30 to avoid the construction site.

Overall, he said, the project will cost about $40 million to complete and could be done in 18-24 months – again, depending on the weather.