Testing a new track pad to prevent erosion and mitigate dust. Photo: courtesy of RTD.
The Denver area’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. (BBII) have been adopting best management practices that conserve the environment and reduce waste while constructing the Southeast Rail Extension.
The project teams have been implementing site specific measures to ensure environmental stewardship is taking place throughout construction and into 2019 when the extension is scheduled to open. The project involves multiple work sites across 2.3 miles and includes the construction of three bridges and three stations.
The Southeast Rail Extension project has an environmental management team consisting of RTD and BBII members who ensure the project is implementing the RTD approved Sustainability Plan.
Several environmental mitigation measures have already been implemented including dust control, noise mitigation and erosion control.
The Dust Control Plan reduces dust from the project by covering excavated materials, re-vegetating exposed areas to prevent erosion and utilizing water trucks throughout construction. The Noise Mitigation Plan reduces noise from the project by locating stationary equipment away from sensitive sites, placing noise-absorbing materials on equipment and conducting high-noise activities during daytime, when possible.
The Erosion Control Plan protects waterways and prevents erosion from construction related activities by constructing safety barriers, or orange fencing, to visually identify the construction work zone. This barrier protects wetlands and other sensitive areas from construction traffic and equipment. The project teams also attach tracking pads to vehicles that remove mud and sediment from the tires and help to reduce soil transport from the site to minimize sediment leaving the area. On this project, a new maintenance tracking pad is being tested, which requires less maintenance than traditional tracking pads. Erosion logs are also set in place to prevent sediment and debris from entering storm drain inlets.
The project’s environmental manager conducts regular inspections to ensure inlets are protected from construction debris, and that construction vehicles/equipment are not tracking mud onto city streets or other sites. The construction team is dedicated to following best practices to ensure that environmental protection on the Southeast Rail Extension project remains a top priority.