McDevitt Avenue Reconstruction: Transforming an Old Runway to a New Roadway

About the Program

Category: Transportation (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

In 2018, the Jackson County Department of Transportation (JCDOT) received a grant to reconstruct McDevitt Avenue. After initial costs estimates revealed that construction costs would far exceed the grant amount, JCDOT set out to find ways to reduce costs through innovative construction methods and beneficial partnerships, all while maintaining a singular focus of providing the community with a roadway that would serve the needs of all for generations to come.McDevitt Avenue was reconstructed during the summer of 2020. The project included removing the old concrete pavement, replacing the water main, reconfiguring the road, and adding a shared-use path along the length of the corridor. The centerpiece of the project, however, is the bottom-up approach to the cross-section design. Forgoing traditional methods, JCDOT provided and placed 10 inches of Bound Aggregate Base (BAB) material as the road base. The selection of BAB increased the overall strength and expected lifespan of the road while allowing for significantly less asphalt. Much more than simply reconstructing a road, this project has helped bring an entire community back to life and serves as a source of pride for those who helped bring the project to fruition and those who use the corridor every day.