A Tribute to Dennis Cole

Dennis Cole July 2, 1948 - June 26, 2009
It is with great sorrow that we report the passing of our longtime colleague and friend, West Corridor Project Manager Dennis Cole. Dennis died Friday evening, June 26, after suffering a stroke earlier in the day.

Dennis Dean Cole was born to Dean and Katie Cole on July 2, 1948. He would have celebrated his 61st birthday this year. He had two brothers, a younger – Mike and an older – Tom. Dennis grew up in western North Dakota, and attended North Dakota State University where he obtained a degree in architecture. His life contained two passions: his work and his family. He was married to his wife Pam for 27 years, they had 4 children: Aaron 26, Shannon 24, Justin 20, and Dylan 18, and one granddaughter Ayla Marie.

Dennis has left an indelible mark at RTD and he will be greatly missed. When you travel around the District you will see his legacy. Dennis had a brilliant mind that can be seen through his architecture. The parking structure at Sheridan and U.S. 36 was Dennis' creation, as well as the light rail platforms along the Central Platte Valley Line and the barrel vault at Denver Union Station. As you travel along U.S. 36, you see his latest architectural jewel - the pedestrian bridge at McCaslin Boulevard.

Dennis shepherded the environmental study through for the West Corridor and recently, through his diligence, led the team to complete the project design and move it into construction. He will be sorely missed by his friends and co-workers on the West Corridor.
 

SUBCONTRACTOR CORNER

Lawrence Construction
Lawrence Construction Company, a pioneer in heavy highway and bridge-construction for over eight decades, will be constructing the Howard St. Bridge, Federal Blvd. Bridge, Colfax Bridge, the Consolidated Main Line Bridge, and the Platte River Bridge for the RTD FasTracks West Corridor project.

Headquartered in Littleton, Lawrence Construction Company is a family owned company that operates on a lean and experienced team of management, employees and crews who take pride in quality workmanship. CEO and president, Rick Lawrence, began his professional engineering career in 1984 with a degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University. Managing the company full time since 1995, Rick has successfully pioneered fast-track and design-build technologies that have been well-received in the construction industry. Ensuring high-end construction without sacrificing workmanship or best management practices has contributed to Lawrence Construction Company’s “best value” reputation in Colorado.

Lawrence’s experience encompasses a vast array of high profile projects including the I-70 & E-470 Interchange Ramp H, E-470 Public Highway Bridges, US 40 Berthoud Pass (Phase 3) and three Light Rail Bridges on the RTD Southwest Corridor. Their dedication to quality workmanship and safety; and their philosophy of “doing it right the first time” has earned Lawrence Construction several local and national awards. In 2008, Lawrence was recognized by the Colorado Contractors Association for an exemplary accident prevention record. They were also recognized by the American Public Works Association, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, and R.E.A.C.H. Safety. These awards and their previous project experience, demonstrate the quality and efficiency Lawrence brings to the West Corridor project.

Denver Transit Construction Group and RTD are proud to have Lawrence Construction Company on the “West Corridor Team”.

Construction Update

Kipling Walls
Crews have moved out of the neighborhood near Kipling Street as MSE wall construction is complete. While there are some minor activities left to do on the Pikeview pedestrian tunnel, those tasks will be completed when crews return to cap the walls. Residents in this area will get a short hiatus from construction activities before crews come back.

Jefferson County
Work on the west side of the corridor has opened up in recent weeks. Crews have installed traffic control measures along 6th Avenue from Union to Indiana; on Colfax from the 6th Avenue interchange west to Ulysses Street, (which closed this week between 6th Avenue and Mt. Vernon Road) and on Indiana Avenue at the 6th Avenue intersection. Crews have begun work on the MSE retaining walls along Colfax Avenue just east of Ulysses and Lawrence Construction is drilling for the Colfax Bridge caissons near the same area. Along 6th Avenue, crews will be working on storm and sewer improvements, followed by wall construction. Edward Kraemer and Sons is currently staging equipment on the north side of 6th Avenue, just west of Indiana, as they begin the early phases of construction on the Indiana Flyover Bridge. Crews continue to work in the area of the Denver Federal Center and soon, signs of bridge construction will be visible on the north and south sides of 6th Avenue near Quail Street. Travelers on the north 6th Avenue Frontage Road may notice intermittent traffic control flagging for trucks and equipment deliveries, but the Frontage Road will remain open during construction of the bridge. DTCG crews will be working in this entire area for the next few years and, while significant traffic impacts are not expected, we encourage you to use caution and limit your speed as you drive through construction zones.

Lakewood Dry Gulch
Lakewood Dry Gulch will continue to experience heavy construction activity for the next several months. Crews are relocating existing utilities, excavating for drainage and sewer improvements, constructing retaining walls and working on the realignment of the channel. Storm sewer replacement east of Perry Street has closed 12th Avenue between Perry and Osceola and improvements to the box culvert under Knox Court require the closure of Knox Court between 12th and 13th Avenues. Construction of the light rail bridge on the shoulder of Howard Street, east of Decatur is underway as is Phase One of construction on the Federal Blvd. Bridge. Current work on the Federal Bridge is contained on the west side of Federal in the gulch and will not impact the commuting public on Federal. The above ground portion of the pedestrian bridges at Tennyson Street and Hazel Court should be set in the month of July. Once in place, crews will pour the decks and shore up the abutments to the sidewalks. These bridges will not open to the public for some time and, once set, the bridges will be fenced off for your safety. As a reminder, please use extreme caution in and around the gulch. Pedestrian paths have been closed throughout this area to ensure the safety of the community. Equipment moving up and down the entire gulch makes it an extremely hazardous area for foot traffic.

Upcoming Construction Activities
Construction in the vicinity of Wadsworth Boulevard and 13th Avenue will become apparent in the next four to six weeks. Work at Wadsworth will include demolition of buildings, preparation of a staging and storage area and beginning stages of bridge construction. When this work starts, 13th Avenue (north) will be closed to vehicular and foot traffic from Vance Street west to Wadsworth Blvd. You may also see crews clearing brush and grading the corridor along 13th Avenue in Lakewood.

Utility Relocations
Qwest, Comcast and Xcel Energy continue their relocation activities along the light rail line.
 

RTD NAMES NEW WEST CORRIDOR PROJECT MANAGER

The Regional Transportation District has named Jim Starling the new Project Manager for the West Corridor. Jim is a long time RTD employee and has great expertise in the construction industry. He reported to his new post on Monday, July 13.

HOW CAN I GET (OR STAY) INVOLVED?

One of the best ways to get the latest information on the West Corridor is to ensure we have your e-mail address. Our periodic e-mails will provide you with information essential to being an active participant. As full construction gets underway, it will be important to keep all members of the community informed on construction activities. Tell your friends and neighbors to sign up on our e-mail list to receive up-to-date information, and if your e-mail changes, please notify us.

Don’t forget to visit our Web site, where you’ll find all the latest information about the West Corridor.