By: Waterblasting Technologies
In March 2008, Oglesby Construction in Sanford, Fla., was awarded a high-profile, time-sensitive contract on I-95 in the Miami-Dade area.
The contract was for the removal and replacement of an 8-mile section of traffic markings. The task was to remove the three current travel lanes and one HOV lane and then apply new markings for two new HOT lanes and three travel lanes.
The Florida DOT narrowed existing freeway lanes from 12 to 11 ft and eliminated a sizable amount of shoulder space to make room for the HOT lanes and necessary tracking equipment. Eventually, the lanes will stretch from I-395 in downtown Miami to Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Drivers can take the lanes when in a hurry and pay the toll using a SunPass transponder.
The existing road markings were 90 mils of double-applied thermoplastic, and the job specified that removal must use waterblasting to avoid damaging the concrete.
Knowing the sensitive timelines and the performance capabilities of the Stripe Hog Waterblasting System from previous works, Tim Parker of Oglesby contacted Eric Gray, General Manager of Waterblasting.com. Parker selected Waterblasting.com and its system because of equipment reliability, simultaneous vacuum recovery and the availability of multiple units.
Simultaneous vacuum recovery was important because the new markings would be 3M high-performance tape and would need to be reapplied the same night as the existing lines were removed.
The first phase of this project began in early March and was completed ahead of schedule on July 1, 2008. The second phase is in progress.
