Roadway + Drainage

Sidewalk Package 1 & 2 - Harris County, TX

Aurora provided engineering & construction phase services to Harris County Engineering Department for the design of approximately seven miles of ADA-compliant sidewalks. The sidewalk designs consisted of curb ramps and related pedestrian elements to improve connectivity between the multiple schools and neighborhoods within the area. Aurora conducted right-of-way reviews and coordination to determine various easement needs to effectively design the sidewalks. The various easements consisted of corner cutbacks, unobstructed view easements, drainage easements, permanent sidewalk easements, and temporary construction easements.

As the design engineer, Aurora was responsible for determining utility conflicts and providing solutions to improve the design while mitigating cost and schedule impacts. Aurora provided coordination with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation of the final design. Other construction phase services provided consisted of weekly meetings, site visits, and coordination with contractors.

Post Oak Blvd Reconstruction - Richmond to IH610 - Uptown Development Authority, Houston, TX

A+ Services served as the lead construction engineer (and design consultant) for the Uptown Development Authority. In this role, the firm supported the Authority’s $150M construction program to reconstruct various infrastructures within the Galleria Area. The most notable project involved the reconstruction of over 9,000 LF of Post Oak Boulevard from Richmond Avenue to IH-610 with enhanced roadway, drainage, public access, intersections, crosswalks, landscape and hardscape. As part of the project, the existing six lanes of traffic were shifted outwards to accommodate the placement of two dedicated bus lanes down the middle of the road. Construction required significant traffic control and phasing. Utility improvements included the construction of 15,000 LF of 18" to 66" storm sewers (including storm sewer boxes varied in sizes), over 15,000 LF of 42” to 12” sanitary sewers and 18,000 LF of 12” water lines, including the relocation of numerous water meter vaults and multiple adjustments to an existing 24” water line. To facilitate the construction and reduce the impact on the local retail/commercial and residential stakeholders, major utility relocations were coordinated in advance of the main reconstruction work.

As the Lead Engineer during construction, A+ Services was responsible for establishing the construction protocol, managing the inspection team, working with the design team, and providing various design modifications to enhance and resolve the constructability of numerous work elements. This effort also included performing constructability reviews, conducting value engineering and workshops to identify ways to reduce the overall project costs, and evaluating specific elements of the design to reduce estimated impacts on the public and construction schedule. With the utility (public and private) relocations, A+ Services was actively engaged in conflict resolutions, addressing design RFIs, and coordinating with the adjacent property owners and tenants.

 

Roadway, Intersection + Drainage Improvements - Harris County, TX

A+ Services serves as the design consultant for several Harris County roadway and intersection improvement projects such as Portal Road at Franz Road, Mason Road at Colonial Parkway, Mason Road at Clay Road, Mueschke Road, and Cypress Place Paving and Drainage Improvement. Typical project designs include: widening of various roadways, improvement of intersections, traffic mobility, turn lanes, improvement of roadway, pavement condition and drainage improvement, and access management, as well as development of traffic control plans, signing, pavement marking plans, construction sequencing and phasing plans and construction plans, specifications, and estimates. The firm's scope of services includes: design for reconstruction of signalized intersections, reconstruction of curb-and-gutter concrete roadway from existing asphalt pavement with roadside ditches, milling and overlay of asphalt roadway, improvement of drainage such as inlets, culverts, roadside ditches, and storm sewers and outfall system, and improvement of traffic mobility such as intersection and roadway configuration, turn lane, turning radii, driveway and median access.

 

W. Hardy Pavement Replacement for 66” Water Transmission Line - City of Houston, Houston, TX

A+ Services serves as the prime design consultant for the proposed 66” water line interconnection project along W. Hardy Rd from Beltway 8 to Greens Road, as part of the City of Houston’s Northeast Transmission Water Line project. This project includes design of approximately 5,700 LF of 66” water transmission line via open-cut and tunneling, a 12” waterline aerial crossing over Greens Bayou, as well as replacement of the W. Hardy Road roadway pavement with widened sidewalk, driveway enhancement, concrete curbs, storm water inlets, ADA wheelchair ramps, and street lighting. Design tasks include coordination and obtaining permits/approvals from different Regulatory Agencies including Harris County, HCTRA, FMO, HCFCD and TxDOT, as well as coordination with adjacent projects, private utilities and pipeline companies. The project scope also includes the replacement of existing roadway and storm sewer that presently outfalls into Greens Bayou. Due to limited bayou capacity, upsized storm sewer, gutter drain and inlet capacity are designed to mitigate the runoff with no impact to the bayou.

 

Capital Improvement Projects on Paving + Drainage, Houston - City of Houston, Houston, TX

A+ Services' Director of Engineering, John Kuo, PE, previously served as the City of Houston's, Department of Public Works, Assistant Director for Street & Traffic Engineering (2008-2018) and the Managing Engineer for Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Construction (2004-2008). He was responsible for engineering and construction of +$100 million dollar, annually budgeted CIP, and management of over 100 public infrastructure projects/contracts for the City of Houston.

Examples of relevant project experience included:

Greens Road Widening + Drainage Improvement—Aldine Westfield to John F Kennedy:  Project included the right-of-way acquisition, design and construction of 7,600LF, four-lane divided concrete roadway with storm drainage, curbs, sidewalks, driveways, street lighting, traffic control, and detention pond. Proposed upgrade included replacement of outfall crossing at Old Hoods Bayou (P240-00-00), the existing bridge at Hood Bayou (P140-00-00), and the outfall pipes from P240-00-00 to P140-00-00. The proposal storm sewer included three underground drainage system and a dedicated detention pond, Nationwide permit, FMO permit and coordination with Houston Airport, TxDOT and HCFCD.

West Little York, Alabonson to TC Jester + TC Jester to Wheatley:  Projects included a major drainage upgrade to replace exist roadside ditch with underground storm sewer system outfall into Vogel Creek and Little White Oak Bayou. Drainage upgrade included 12,000LF reinforced concrete box culverts and pipes ranged from 9ftX5ft to 24in. To mitigate the downstream hydraulic impact to the bayou capacity, incorporation of Inwood Forest regional detention ponds (under separate projects) were also required and permitted by HCFCD.

Dairy Ashford Paving + Drainage Improvement, Memorial to Buffalo Bayou:  Project included widening of existing 4,000 LF from four lanes concrete curb-and-gutter street to six lanes major thoroughfare with upgrade of a concrete box storm sewers and outfalls to Buffalo Bayou. Scope also included widening of the existing bridge over the bayou and the bayou bike trails. One of the challenges on drainage solution included an extended drainage study to relieve frequent neighborhood structure flooding on Bramblewood because of the insufficient outfall depth, excessive street ponding and localized low property elevations next to the bayou.