Electrical Alliance Contractors Drive Innovation on Washington Transportation Projects
Electrical Alliance contractors have installed hundreds of miles of conduit, cables and lights on metropolitan Washington, DC's roads, rails and airport taxiways. Transportation electrical work requires a unique set of skills to accomplish correctly. In fact, when a project is finished, most of the electrical isn't visible.
"Unlike electrical work in a building, street lights, cables, and other electrical equipment are set in poured concrete in the ground," explained Joey Tominovich, president of Chesapeake Electrical Systems (CES). "We have our own excavation equipment and spend a lot of time in the dirt!"
Chesapeake Electrical Systems has worked on numerous transportation projects in the region. CES was the electrical contractor for the fourth runway and associated taxiways at Dulles International Airport. It installed 2,300 airfield lighting fixtures and guidance signs, and a 54,000-foot underground duct bank system, which included over 250 electrical manholes and handholes and the new airfield electrical vault. This vault, equipped with a state-of-the-art emergency generator, feeds the new runway lighting system.
CES's role in the Frederick Douglass Bridge renovations in Southwest Washington included upgrading the existing lighting system and outfitting the new bridge railing with LED accent lighting. Recognized for its complex requirements and fast-tracked schedule, the success of the bridge's renovations make a significant improvement to the Anacostia Waterfront and surrounding regions.
Currently, CES is responsible for the complete lighting and communication system for the Capital Beltway HOT Lanes Project. It involves improvements to 14 miles of High Occupancy Toll Lanes in each direction from the Springfield Interchange to just north of the Dulles Toll Road in Northern Virginia. The design features over 500 new street lights, 72 CCTV cameras, 86 microwave detectors, 76 Dynamic Message Boards, 56 reversible gates, nine emergency generators, and 150 Roadside Equipment Cabinets to house the critical electrical components of the systems. Additionally, CES is installing over 113 miles of new electrical conduit systems and over 216 miles of electrical, fiber optic and communication cables.
Similarly, City General and Wellington Power are working on Maryland's Intercounty Connector (ICC). The ICC will link I-270 to I-95/US-1.
City General is trenching for conduit lines, installing fiber optic cables and setting foundations for pole lighting, while Wellington Power is installing Intelligent Transportation Systems that include 105,000 feet of dual path fiber optic network cabling and multi-duct raceway, 11 structure mounted LED dynamic message signs, 11 closed circuit television cameras, four highway advisory radio transmitter stations, a roadway weather information system and four lane use sign systems as well as 167 conventional highway lighting structures and luminaires and 17 sign structure lighting systems."The biggest challenge of transportation electrical work is the elements," said Earl Mitchell of City General. "You can't predict the weather and have to work around it.
"The Electrical Alliance contractors must also maintain traffic flow while working on new systems.
Truland Walker Seal Transportation has completed several projects for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), including a series of traction power substation upgrades throughout the system. The most recent of these was finished in mid-2009. It replaced the equipment that modifies the incoming utility power for use as traction power (the power that the trains operate on) with more modern, efficient systems. All of the work was done at night during non-rush hours when the trains were not running."
In an operational subway system, such as WMATA, the contractor must perform work that requires access to the right of way or requires a power system outage when the trains are out of service, which is typically only a four or five hour period," explained Mark Ketchel, vice president and project executive of Truland Walker Seal Transportation. "Our crews need to be as productive as possible during those hours, and have to make sure that any systems taken off line are back up and running by the time the stations open. Needless to say, scheduling and planning are crucial."
Electrical Alliance contractors are particularly well suited to transportation projects because the Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee (JATC), the apprenticeship program that trains their future electricians, prepares apprentices specifically for the task. Its Lanham facility is home to a simulated street in the hallway where apprentices learn about outdoor poles and associated equipment. Additionally, all apprentices attend confined spaces training in an actual manhole located in the JATC's Manassas facility.
To find an electrical contractor experienced in road, rail, and airway work, search the Electrical Alliance's new contractor database at www.electricalalliance.org.
Construction Today: CES Is Top Choice for Big Infrastructure Jobs
In its July 2010 issue, Construction Today magazine features Chesapeake Electrical Systems (CES) for its industry-leading infrastructure work in the Washington, DC area. The company's skilled, certified union teams and excellent contractor relationships have enabled the company to become a key player in heavy construction for the capital area.
The article details some of CES' high-profile projects, including performing electrical work on the new runway at Dulles International Airport and supplying the electrical communications package for the I-495 Capital Beltway HOT lanes. Get details
Chesapeake Electrical Systems Named Electrical Contractor on I-495 HOT Lanes Project
Chesapeake Electrical Systems has been chosen to perform the electrical contracting work on the Virginia I-495 HOT Lanes project, a major enhancement to the Capital Beltway that will add high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes between the Springfield Interchange and Dulles Toll Road, going in both directions.
As the electrical contractor on this project, CES is responsible for providing the total lighting and communication system for the 14-mile stretch of highway. More project details are available in our project gallery.
Frederick Douglass Bridge Project named "Project of the Year" by Mid Atlantic Construction Magazine
As the electrical contractor for the $31.6 million Frederick Douglass Bridge renovations, Chesapeake Electrical Systems was a key part of the project team recognized for its participation on Mid-Atlantic Construction Magazines 2007 Project of the Year. The bridge rehabilitation, which was contracted by the D.C. Department of Transportation, involved major upgrades to the bridge's architecture and infrastructure. CES' role included the challenge of upgrading the existing lighting system and outfitting the new bridge railing with LED accent lighting.
Recognized in part for its complex requirements and fast-tracked schedule, the success of the bridge's renovations marks an achievement for the CES and the other contractors involved, as well as a significant improvement to the Anacostia Waterfront and surrounding regions.
Chesapeake Electrical Systems, Inc. (CES) was founded in 1993. Since that time, with a dedicated staff, CES has grown into a company of over 150 construction professionals that is recognized as one of the leading electrical construction and service firms in the Mid-Atlantic region.