Archer-United awarded Phase One of Carolina Crossroads project
June 30, 2021
Archer-United will begin the five-phase process to improve “malfunction junction” for Midlands’ commuters.
Archer-United, Joint Venture, was awarded Carolina Crossroads Phase 1 which consists of the re-design and construction of a new interchange for Colonial Life Boulevard at I-126, as well as improvements on I-26 and I-126. This project is the first phase of the Carolina Crossroads, I-20/26/126 Corridor Improvement Project, the number one interstate priority for South Carolina.
Archer-United, JV is the joint venture of Archer Western Construction, LLC and United Infrastructure Group, Inc. and the lead design firm, Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering (ICE). The Team worked in developing several innovative and unique approaches in addressing the purpose and goal of the project, and ended up with a semi-directional interchange concept that is safer and operationally more efficient.
“The new configuration was designed with safety, capacity and mobility for the Midlands’ commuters in mind,” said Elham Farzam, President/CEO of Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering and Lead Design Engineer for the Project “the semi-directional interchange will be efficient, easily navigable and will improve safety for the traveling public. We are honored to be a part of the first phase of South Carolina’s largest infrastructure improvement project ever.”
Construction will involve improvements to the I-126 ramps at Colonial Life Blvd. and the new construction of ramps entering and exiting from Colonial Life Blvd. and I-126 to I-20. This new design is intended to prevent side swipes and rear-end accidents which are prevalent in diamond interchange configurations.
The Archer-United Team will also use an “off-alignment” construction scheme to eliminate the closure of the existing ramps and minimize the number of traffic stages. With this area already being a highly congested region, maintenance of traffic during construction was also a focusing point of the Archer-United, JV’s approach. The Maintenance of Traffic Plan was developed with the specific goal of minimizing traffic shifts and temporary lane closures, and it maintains a minimum of three lanes in the east and westbound directions while widening and median work is being performed.
About Archer Western
Established in 1983, Archer Western maintains a central corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia and serves a diverse client base across seven regional offices. Archer Western is a recognized as a national expert and proven performer in a wide range of projects in the building, civil, transportation and water sectors. Archer Western is an open-shop contractor that primarily operates in the southern and western regions of the United States. www.walshgroup.com
About United Infrastructure Group
UIG’s leadership in the transportation arena, technical experience, construction abilities, financial strength, commitment to safety, innovative approaches, and unyielding dedication to quality, has been perfected over 85 years. UIG has built an empire and has become a leader in many diversified markets such as engineering, construction, design-build, public partnerships, communications, environment, facilities, federal government, safety, infrastructure, transportation, and real estate. www.uig.net
About Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering
Founded in South Carolina, Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering, PLLC (ICE) offers turn-key transportation engineering services throughout the Southeast. The firm prides itself on developing new and innovative solutions to its clients’ needs. With over 350 employees in seven states, ENR 2021 Southeast Ranking ranked ICE as the Southeast Region 14th largest Transportation Consulting Firm and as the second largest consulting firm in South Carolina. Much of ICE’s success is from strong long-term relationship with its clients who places their trust in the hands of dedicated employees with personal and committed services to those clients, and perseverance for excellence. www.ice-eng.com
