In May 2012, four Asset Management contractors competed for Tennessee’s pilot comprehensive, performance-based roadway asset maintenance (AM) project. Infrastructure Corporation of America (ICA) was the winner of the state’s first-ever contract. For over ten years, industry executives have been working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to advance a pilot AM project. During that time, Tennessee witnessed states, such as Florida, Virginia, Texas and South Carolina, who tested projects with private AM contractors and benefited from cost savings, efficiencies, and high standards of maintenance performance from single contractors — especially in areas like snow and ice mitigation and emergency response.
ICA continued to work with TDOT officials in its home state of Tennessee, and with input and assistance from AMOTIA, TDOT developed and process advertised its first pilot project in 2011. The roadways chosen for the pilot represent an area of central Tennessee where TDOT has experienced difficulty hiring personnel.
In August 2012, under management of Sam Rapczak, ICA began the five year AM contract for TDOT in Bedford, Williamson, Wilson, and Rutherford Counties. The project covers 533 lane miles of I-24, I-65, and SR-840 south of Nashville. The contract includes all routine maintenance activities normally associated with roadway and structures, including guardrail, signs, pavement marking, litter, sweeping, drainage, patching and crack repair, vegetation and aesthetics, snow and ice mitigation and incident response. The two project leads are perfect fits, and both bring tremendous knowledge and experience to the project. Sam Rapczaka has a long history of building roads in Tennessee, as well as strong relationships with local contractors; and Operations Manager, Rodney Hollis, is a former TDOT maintenance superintendent. The first few months of ICA’s work on the contract have gone well as crews worked to maintain roadways to contract standards.
On October 30th, ICA responded to an accident involving two tractor trailers that created a fire and fuel spill that covered all lanes. The incident occurred at 4:43 am on eastbound I-24, and ICA’s Robert Johnson was first on the scene by 5:15 am. Traffic was detoured, but all lanes were reopened by 6:50 am. TDOT officials were pleased and impressed by ICA’s quick response and handling of the clean-up.
“We’ve had a smooth start,” says Rapczak. “Our response to the incident in October was our first real test, and it built up the confidence of our team. We are getting to know our TDOT partners well, and our performance is only going to get better in the coming months.”