The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has awarded Des Moines Asphalt & Paving Co. of Des Moines, IA the 2006 Sheldon G. Hayes Award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement. The company received the award at the association''s 52nd Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Three companies were named finalists for the award: Diamond B Construction, Louisiana; E & B Paving Inc., Indiana; and Norris Asphalt Paving Co., Iowa.

Des Moines Asphalt & Paving Co.''s winning project was the widening of a three-mile stretch of I-235 in the city of Des Moines. The project area ran from the western end of the 8th Street Bridge to the east end of a bridge over I-35, an area that frustrated rush hour commuters with its constant backups.

Des Moines Asphalt & Paving Co. added one lane to both sides of the road, making it three lanes in each direction. In some sections around exits it added a fourth auxiliary lane as well. Finally, it overlaid all sections to create a smooth pavement.

The existing V-ditch in the center of the roadway posed one of the greatest challenges. Crews had to tear out the 50-foot-wide grass median and construct a storm sewer, concrete barrier and concrete median in its place. "We had a 16- to 20-foot-wide hole on each side of that median, which made it very tough and tight to get in and out of the area," says Greg Kinser, vice president and operations manager.

Crews worked under traffic, often during evening and weekend hours to minimize the disruption to motorists. "We were not allowed to have less than two lanes of traffic open," Kinser adds.

The project required a total of 143,911 tons of hot-mix asphalt (HMA), designed to stand up to 30 million ESALs (equivalent single axle loads). "One feature of this project that we''re very proud of is the consistent, high quality mix that we had throughout," says Kinser. Using a shuttle buggy helped keep the pavement smooth during laydown, earning Des Moines Asphalt and Paving Co. an incentive bonus.

"We''ve got some very talented people and some good equipment," Kinser says. "We like to think that we all do a good job of paying attention to the quality details. We believe this project showcases the vital benefits of HMA: rapid construction and a long-lasting, smooth, safe, quiet ride, all at a cost substantially below engineers'' estimates."

The Sheldon G. Hayes Award winner is determined through a two-year process. Highway pavement projects using more than 50,000 tons of HMA are eligible for consideration.