Let’s set the scene.
The address is 250 E from 400 N to 340 N.
The date Tuesday September 21, 2021.
The time is 06:50 AM.
The sun has yet to break over the mountains and the morning breeze is cooler than usual.
Orem City’s Streets crew convene on site and begin a project that we are completely capable of completing but so rarely have the honor to do so. The project is called a Reconstruct. It is the process in which the failing asphalt and a certain amount of road base is removed and replaced with new material.
Crew leaders on site, Corey Clayton and Jesse Robinson begin the strenuous process of stripping the old asphalt and loading it all on 4 10-wheel dump trucks using a backhoe and the front end loader. The failing asphalt is removed with ease and the day feels very promising. We determined that 8 inches of base should be removed to remedy this road. What we did not expect is how bad that base would be. It was horrible. It was a muddy, rocky mess. A second backhoe is dispatched to assist with the base removal and Silongo Samani was the man for the job. When the job was about half way prepped, Tim Lino was tasked with getting the Grader up to the job to begin the first stage of leveling the sub base at the depth we needed. With the assistance from our concrete crew, the first loads of new road base were trucked in 12 tons at a time. Each load being dispersed and leveled by the loader and the grader.
When the road base is filled back in and leveled to perfection, it is time to replace the asphalt. This is the point of job that we refer to as “Go-Time.” Equipment on the job is simple. A Paver, Roller, dump trucks and a couple guys to provide perspective from the ground and assist when needed. Once again the concrete crew comes in clutch and provides the crucial job of hauling the hot asphalt from Geneva Rock to our paver. It’s not an easy job. Once the truck has successfully reversed in line with the paver, it must maintain a straight line and be very attentive. After continuous runs, hour after hour, we complete the job. 410 tons of brand new asphalt laid, rolled and completed within 8 hours. It was difficult, but tackled by the best streets crew in Utah.
I want to shout out these individuals for their dedication and hard work to get this job done safely and in a timely manner.
Supervisor – Bill Peterson
Crew Leaders – Corey Clayton, Jesse Robinson and Mike Johnsson
Asphalt Crew – Bryce Rhoades, Silongo Samani and Tim Lino
Concrete Crew – Tomei Leiataua, Hala Latu and Colt Hall
Thank you guys. This job wouldn’t have been possible without each one of you.
And, Thanks to the writer, Tim Lino!
