Tony Carpenter breaks up a cap of rock on V&G’s
US-64 realignment project in Wake County, NC.

Renowned heavy/highway contractor Vecellio & Grogan, Inc., is constructing a realigned section of US-64 adjoining the I-440 Beltline in east Raleigh, North Carolina.

The $40.3 million contract, one of the largest in V&G's history, includes five bridges and 1.2 miles of four-lane divided highway. With more than $15 million designated for structures, it is also one of the largest bridge contracts the company has received to date.

V&G began work in mid-July 2002 and is scheduled to finish by the end of 2004. The project will require more than 537,000 cubic meters of excavation, including some rock, and nearly the same amount of "borrow," or material obtained off-site. The earthwork includes bringing the roadway to grade, constructing bridge embankments and building interchange ramps.

Of the five bridges, three will be built for the I-440 interchange, including one flyover, while the other two, twin spans over a realigned New Hope Road, will be built near the east end of the job.

In addition to the excavation, grading and bridge construction, Vecellio & Grogan will perform the installation of all storm drainage. Other portions of the job will be subcontracted, including sewer and gas line relocation, paving and signage.

The work is part of a realignment project that will reroute US-64 traffic away from downtown Raleigh. US-64 currently leads into downtown and has a "diamond"-style interchange at I-440, but the traffic lights serving the interchange ramps cause significant delays. The realigned US-64 will connect to I-440 at a new, streamlined interchange several miles to the south.

V&G's contract covers the western portion of the realignment; the eastern portion is contracted to another firm. When both portions are finished, through-traffic will use the new spur, while "old US-64" will continue as a Raleigh business route.

At $40-million-plus, the Raleigh contract is one of V&G's largest to date, topped by only two others.

In 1988, the company was awarded a $44.4 million job on I-68 in Maryland. Even larger is the current SR-288 project under construction in Richmond, Virginia. Originally contracted for $47.6 million, change orders and an adjoining subcontract have pushed the total value of the Richmond work to well over $50 million.