North Sheridan Interchange
A Connection for Growth
The North Sheridan Interchange (NSI) project included reconstructing and relocating the interchange and improving I-90 and the city’s major north-south access road, North Main Street. This interchange is the first one serving the City of Sheridan for I-90 eastbound traffic and the last for I-90 westbound vehicles.
The original NSI was constructed in 1962 and met the design standards of the time. Transportation standards have changed to address new safety concerns, and this project dealt with issues like interchange deficiencies, limited connectivity, pavement deterioration, drainage, curb-and-gutter and sewer blockages, and lack of pedestrian sidewalks.
After early and extensive public outreach efforts; coordination with local, state, city, and federal stakeholders; a lengthy environmental review process; and execution of a master plan, the city now has an interchange that addresses the deficiencies of the former structure, meets the needs of the public, provides an aesthetically pleasing entrance to the city, that will also help boost the economy in this growing community.
Services and Highlights
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Prime consultant for the Wyoming Department of Transportation and the City of Sheridan
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Stakeholder coordination
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Landscaping, specialty signage, and lighting
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Decorative archways and retaining walls
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Provides a gateway to new elementary school, parks, and a 10-acres sports facility in addition to subdivisions
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Expanded bike-pedestrian pathways that are ADA compliant
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Value Engineering review provided $1M cost savings
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Multiple funding sources
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Project was phased to pull three projects into one
Meeting the Needs of the Community
One of the challenges was to create an interchange with high-dollar design features like landscaping, specialty signage and lighting, decorative archways, retaining walls, and other city requests that worked within WYDOT’s design standards and stayed within the project’s budget. In addition to addressing the steps needed to revitalize North Main Street, the design team also met with stakeholders to come up with a solution that met their requirements while also solving transportation issues.
During the EA phase, the design team addressed several location issues with the new interchange. Site constraints from the nearby railroad and Goose Creek posed the biggest challenge. In addition, site conditions also proved to be a technical challenge. The interchange was on private property and adjacent to several businesses, necessitating a higher degree of planning and communication with those impacted by the project. Furthermore, the project is in an area zoned for new developments that have an increased level of requirements for new infrastructure.
The nearby railroad tracks added complexity to the project. The track had to be raised and lengthened to fit up to the new 10-foot pathway. BSNF height and separation requirements ultimately dictated the location of certain bridge columns. Additionally, because of a county road running beneath the railroad, the team had to install a concrete median barrier with an MGS guardrail to protect the bridge columns.
Financing Three Projects in One
The design team orchestrated phasing on this project—which was really three projects in one: new interchange, construction up to the new interchange, and reconstruction of access roads and the adjacent urban business sector (i.e. North Main Street). Three types of roadway sections were utilized (urban, rural – two-lane, and interstate), which is a unique and uncommon design for WYDOT projects.
The financing of this project also contributed to its complexity as there were multiple sources involved. In some areas, a part of the project (i.e. sidewalks) was funded by different entities which necessitated breaking down the total cost by percentage in order to allocate to the proper amount to each account. WYDOT and Morrison-Maierle had to determine which parts of the project were funded with the appropriate pot of money. This became especially challenging when coordinating contractor payments.
Related Projects
Custer Avenue Interchange
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East Belgrade Interchange
The East Belgrade Interchange with roadways to Bozeman's airport provide a major link in this growning community's transportation system.
Deep Creek Canyon Bridges
Morrison-Maierle designed a modular, pre-cast bridge system that replaced three structures in a narrow Montana canyon in less than 60 hours.
