Access Road Construction

Wendel was hired by the Erie County Department of Public Works to develop a permanent access road and utility service for the Tecumseh Business Park in Lackawanna, New York. The design process was complicated by several factors that Wendel’s team had to overcome. The former steel plant on site proved to be problematic due to remaining building foundations, abandoned rail lines and tunnels with poor record information at the team’s disposal. The park is also composed of separate parcels that are protected by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Brownfields Cleanup Program (BCP). Throughout the project, it was also required that the function of a 5-track railroad storage area be maintained. Critical schedule requirements most affected the Wendel team’s design approach, however, as the business park’s need for water service was the first priority.To meet this need, the project was broken into three phases: first came waterline design and construction, followed by railroad relocation and then finally access road construction.