Earlier this month, contractors closed Buck Creek Bypass to traffic to proceed with major construction on this widening and improvements project. After a week of milling the old roadway, the asphalt crew started laying down the thick layer of new pavement. All construction workers rely on strong teamwork to accomplish their tasks, and an asphalt crew is a particularly good example of why it's important and how it works.
Asphalt work can be dangerous as the vehicles involved are large, the paving material is heavy and hot, and there are many points in the process where inattention can easily result in injury or worse. Safety is the number one priority, with efficiency a very close second as each day of paving results in costs of tens-to-hundreds of thousands of dollars. With such high stakes, asphalt crews themselves tend to be large, with some members ensuring progress and quality control while others act as spotters, watching for any sign of trouble. These workers are often in precarious positions with the vehicles and equipment, and having eyes watching from various vantage points keep everyone safe and the project moving.
Asphalt work can be dangerous as the vehicles involved are large, the paving material is heavy and hot, and there are many points in the process where inattention can easily result in injury or worse. Safety is the number one priority, with efficiency a very close second as each day of paving results in costs of tens-to-hundreds of thousands of dollars. With such high stakes, asphalt crews themselves tend to be large, with some members ensuring progress and quality control while others act as spotters, watching for any sign of trouble. These workers are often in precarious positions with the vehicles and equipment, and having eyes watching from various vantage points keep everyone safe and the project moving.
As you can imagine, all these large vehicles make a lot of noise. Team members often have to utilize hand signals to communicate - which means that everyone must always be alert to others gesturing at them to go, stop, lift, check, and many other commands. Up ahead are a line of dump trucks filled with asphalt, and drivers wait patiently for their own signals. When the truck in action is empty, it quickly pulls out of the way so another can safely back up into place and keep the process going. Dump trucks rotate in and out of the equipment line-up several times each day so that the asphalt crew stops as little as possible.
Behind the vehicles and crews laying the new, thick, hot asphalt is a the roller operator. While the process slowly moves forward, the roller goes back and forth over the new pavement, compressing and smoothing it even further to ensure a stable, high quality surface.
In addition to the humans working together to build the new roadway, other things are important to the overall success of the teamwork. The weather, for example, must cooperate - a crew can't lay asphalt in the rain. Even the ambient temperature must be at a certain point for the asphalt to set properly. Luckily for this team and the City of Oglethorpe, the weather recently has helped advance this project's progress.
Project managers and contractors plan to re-open Buck Creek Bypass to traffic in a couple of months. With this benchmark date as the target, these workers will continue their dedication to teamwork - focused on safety and efficiency - and ensuring that Oglethorpe and drivers have a durable corridor for years to come.