By Dave Reid

On September 28, 2006, Ajax Paving Industries, Inc., of Florida broke ground on the reconstruction of two major avenues in downtown Tarpon Springs, Florida. State Route 595, a north-south thoroughfare, is known by locals by various names, such as Pinellas Avenue, as well as Alternate US 19. State Route 582, also known as Tarpon Avenue, runs east-west, intersecting SR 595, and the intersection of the two is a well-known crossroads and the center of this historical downtown district.

Called the Tarpon Avenue Reconstruction, the project featured numerous utility and roadway improvements. The project’s intent was to improve traffic flow through the district and preserve the historic charm of the area.

Project details

Construction was sequenced across more than two miles of SR 595 and approximately a dozen blocks of SR 582. Features of the project included: completely replacing downtown Tarpon Springs’ water and sewer mains; improving storm drains; restoring roadways and resurfacing of asphalt pavement; and installing miles of new concrete sidewalks and driveways, brick pavers, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant ramps, all new signalization, roadway signage, and more.

This project was bid as an “A+B” project for a total price of more than $16.3 million, with an incentive/disincentive program built into the contract. Ajax won the bid from competitors Cone and Graham and Kiewit Southern, bidding the project to complete construction in 640 days. In “A+B” bidding, each contract day carries an incentive or disincentive value of $4,000. The incentive/disincentive component of this contract encouraged Ajax to finish ahead of schedule by paying the daily incentive, essentially a bonus, for every day less than the original contract time that Ajax used to complete the project.

In the end, Ajax completed 55.2 percent of the work with material totaling 12,983 tons. The project required 3,581 tons of B 12.5 asphalt base and more than 9,381 tons of polymer-modified asphalt, which consisted of 4,820 tons of SP 9.5 C and 4,571 tons of FC 12.5.

Similarly, the disincentive, a penalty for finishing late, carried the same daily cost in addition to normal liquidated damages, which for this project were set at $6,078, making a total penalty of more than $10,000.00 for each day Ajax needed in addition to the original contract time. Needless to say, Ajax spent a lot of time picking key subcontractors, partnering, and planning to avoid costly delays and penalties and also to earn the largest bonus possible.

Capable team

The maximum limit to the incentive bonus that Ajax could earn was $400,000. After months of careful planning, partnering, and acquisition, followed by a successful partnering conference, Ajax and its carefully selected team of subcontractors set out with the ambitious goal to earn the entire $400,000 bonus and, if possible, to complete construction before breaking for Christmas in 2007.

With that in mind, and knowing this was a high profile project with intense local community interests and concerns — not the least of which were the many dozens of shopkeepers who do business daily in this district — Ajax hand-picked subcontractors it knew could perform under pressure, that it had plenty of experience with, and who had performed well in the past on a number of other important projects.

Key among the many subcontractors were Kamminga and Roodvoets, who handled all underground work; Transportation Structures, Inc., who managed an extensive concrete scope involving full restoration of many city blocks of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways, pavers, and the addition of hundreds of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant ramps at street and driveway crossings; and Florida Safety Contractors, who handled the replacement of traffic signals, which included new foundations, poles, mast arms, pedestrian crossings, and the like throughout the downtown district.

Coordination between the different scopes of work was essential, as Ajax completed most of the components of the work on a block-by-block basis in an effort to mitigate the impact on the business community.

Fast track to success

Originally the project was scheduled to for completion by June 28, 2008. Ajax, however, zeroed in on a completion date of late December 2007, more than six months ahead of schedule.

Led by Ajax’s Project Manager Roger Owens and Project Superintendent Ed Street, who worked closely with the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Project Administrator Dan White to deliver this project, the team finished far enough ahead of schedule to earn the entire incentive. It goes without saying that Ajax, having attacked a complex project with the philosophy that it would take a team of partners to succeed, and having spent considerable time both developing the team and the partnering process, is satisfied with these impressive results.

	Construction of SR 595 and SR 582 required 3,581 tons of B 12.5 asphalt base and more than 9,381 tons of polymer-modified aphalt, which consisted of 4,820 tons of SP 9.5 C and 4,571 tons of FC 12.5.

Owens, reflecting back on a project that for the most part went better than anticipated, offers his perspective. “I would say teamwork was what made this project exceptional,” he says. “From subcontractors to utility owners to all the various agencies involved, we tried to engage everyone in this process, to get them all what they wanted when they needed it, while giving us the same. Everyone stepped up.”

Street felt that the support and cooperation of the many shop owners would be so essential that he spent time before breaking ground personally meeting each and every one of them to learn their needs and concerns. He believes this approach contributed to acceleration in the schedule. “I think it paid dividends, because we did spend a considerable amount of time talking to them,” he says. “For the most part, they were very cooperative and receptive to this project, because they knew ultimately this was needed and they would benefit from it. The majority of them were very receptive. We tried to get in as fast as we could and get out of their hair.”

Street added, “[Tarpon Springs] was also very cooperative from the get-go. There were a lot of things we were able to do to move things along that we couldn’t have done without their help. They were very helpful.”
Mike Stanley, President of Transportation Structures, Inc., the largest subcontractor on the project, agreed with both Owens and Street. “I believe teamwork contributed highly to the success of the project,” he says, “and in addition the FDOT and the city were receptive to minor changes which aided greatly in both scheduling and improved visual enhancement of the project.”

Finally, White offers an enthusiastic perspective from the FDOT’s point of view. As Ajax’s largest customer, this opinion may matter the most. “The job went real well,” White says. “It looks like we’re going to finish nearly 200 days ahead of schedule, and from the department’s point of view, that’s always a good thing.”