I-40/I-240 Interchange Modification

The largest single project for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) at the time, work encompassed the I-40/I-240 interchange from I-240 north of Walnut Grove Road to north of Covington Pike including 0.3 miles west of the interchange to Sycamore View at I-40. The project called for the construction of two new flyover bridges, grading, drainage, retaining wall construction, and paving. Our team has provided construction engineering inspection (CEI) services for TDOT since 2005, and were able to seamlessly join this project team in support of the groundbreaking project.  

Originally constructed in the 1970s, the route was first proposed to pass through the city of Memphis, TN, but was constructed instead around the city with a single on-ramp to carry traffic from I-40 to I-240. By 2013, 200,000 vehicles passed through the interchange each day, which caused major traffic backups and impeded the flow of traffic through the single lane. The volume of traffic was anticipated to increase exponentially year after year, and improvements to the I-40 to I-240 interchange became a priority for TDOT.   

Our team of CEI engineers worked with numerous contractors and within the project timelines and budgets. To complete the scope on time without disruption to traffic flow, much of the project work was completed at night. We were also a resource in solving problems related to work area access to perform inspections.  

One unique feature of this job was our utilization of dynamic pile analysis to determine the capacity of the piles with more accurate information. This task was outside the original specifications given by TDOT in this project. Our team was able to determine the length of piles needed, which meant they could be prefabricated before coming to the work site. This saved the project time and money.  The project also incorporated geofoam to provide backfill for a retaining wall that was constructed within a very limited space between an existing retaining wall and the edge of the right of way.  

Another feature that we consider a pillar of this project’s success is continuous communication. We pride ourselves on communication thoroughly and effectively with our subcontractors and with our client, who in turn can keep stakeholders and the public informed about the progress of the project regarding lane closures, etc. Our team’s good communication ensured our work is running on time and within budget.