Civil Design

Scope of Work: Design and reconstruction of approximately 0.5 miles of the Crawford Road while coordinating the Mosher Bridge Repairs

Acheron, working closely with engineers of the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT), successfully completed the design of the Crawford Road Reconstruction and Mosher Bridge repairs. This design included stormwater appurtenances related to road and bridge design. To complete this project, Acheron incorporated design drawings of the Mosher Bridge repair project into our Crawford Road design. Acheron conducted a survey at 50-foot intervals to create a plan, profile and cross-section of the road. American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards were used to design vertical and horizontal curves.

Maine State Highway Flexible Pavement design procedures were utilized to design gravel base and pavement thickness. A boring program and visual identification of the sub-base materials were utilized to indicate the soil support value of the underlying sub-base. When necessary, geotextiles were employed to protect, support and separate the gravel base layer. The proposed design also included under-drain systems in high groundwater table areas, bituminous curbing to facilitate drainage and extension of the Town’s water distribution system.

Another challenging aspect of the project involved the coordination of a bridge design developed by the MDOT into our design package. The design of approaches, traffic control and signing, and guardrail systems had to be integrated into the project.

Two Town meetings were held with residents of Pittsfield to obtain their approval and inform them of the necessary easements. Soliciting input from the residents and working with them prior to construction allowed the Town to obtain the necessary drainage easments with no resistance from the residents of the Crawford Road.

Another challenge stemmed from the Town’s desire to bid the roadway and bridge design as one project. With this in mind, Acheron worked closely with MDOT engineers to develop a comprehensive and inclusive bid package. Within this package, both standard Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) specifications and MDOT specifications were carefully integrated.

Finally, Acheron solicited bids from various contractors, recommended the selection of a general contractor and oversaw construction of both projects.

Scope of Work: Design and construction administration of numerous street reconstruction and sidewalk construction projects

Over a period of several years, Acheron provided design and construction administration services to the Town of Pittsfield for the reconstruction of several residential streets. These projects varied in their scopes, but generally entailed installation of water, sewer, and storm drain pipes, as well as street repaving. The streets reconstructed include Crawford Road, Detroit Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Peltoma Avenue. In addition to these reconstruction projects, Acheron also designed sidewalk and related facilities projects on several other streets. These projects included:

Forrest Street bituminous sidewalk and curbing
Hathorn Street parking areas
Hunnewell Bridge bituminous sidewalk extension
Bud’s Market sidewalk reconstruction
Somerset Avenue sidewalk reconstruction
Park Street reconstruction
West Street culvert extension
George Street culvert installation

Client: Town of Sabattus, Maine

Lake Street Reconstruction was a CDBG funded project which involved the complete reconstruction of approximately 2,400 feet of a residential street in Sabattus, Maine. The reconstruction included installation of water lines, hydrants and water services, as well as appropriate drainage facilities. To accommodate all of the necessary utilities, the roadway needed to be widened to provide a 24-foot wide paved surface.

The road widening required significant changes to the existing physical features in the area. Acheron worked closely with the Town and residents to design the required modifications. Private driveways and walkways were altered, drainage patterns were changed and trees were removed as necessary to facilitate the reconstruction.

Following design of the necessary improvements, Acheron developed Bid Documents for the overall project, assisted the Town in soliciting bids for the construction of the work, and provided construction administration services to assure the project was completed in compliance with the Contract Documents. The final project included:

2,370 linear feet of water main,
1,200 linear feet of water service lines,
3 hydrants,
10 catch basins,
1,560 linear feet of storm drain,
7,900 square yards of pavement, and related appurtenances.

Based on a drainage study conducted by Acheron in 1996, the Town of Winthrop engaged the firm to evaluate the extent and severity of numerous drainage problems along Memorial Drive and to develop appropriate remedial measures to correct them. Included as a related issue was the minimizing of sedimentation problems in Maranacook Lake due to erosion of lakeside properties. The project involved an extensive field survey, a comprehensive investigation of existing drainage patterns using computer simulations, an in-depth evaluation of potential remedial measures, a well-attended public informational meeting, and the generation of alternative courses of remedial action with associated costs. Avoiding piecemeal solutions to the numerous and pervasive drainage problems that were identified, Acheron developed an integrated set of recommendations that included the following:

Sizing culverts to handle peak runoff,
Increasing capacity of ditches to handle peak runoff,
Installing driveway culverts to facilitate flows,
Regrading road shoulder and removing accumulated debris to facilitate sheet flow,
Installing curbs to direct runoff in areas unsuitable for ditches,
Elevating depressed sections of the roadway to bring road centerline above surrounding land,
Installing riprap on all outlets to Maranacook Lake to dissipate storm flows and minimize erosion, and
Resurfacing and regrading a significant portion of the roadway to restore the integrity of the pavement surface.

Implementation of Acheron's integrated set of recommendations would achieve localized improvements, as well as overall benefit to the Memorial Drive drainage system of nearly 600 acres.

Acheron was retained in August 1994 to design and monitor the construction of a replacement dam of the West Branch of Davis Stream in the Town of Jefferson, Maine. The previous dam was a timber-crib structure which experienced significant leakage because it overlaid the Presumpscot Soil Formation. The Soil Conservation Service evaluated the Dam and deemed it a Class C Hazard because a number of structures existed in its flood plain and the stream flowed under two (2) State highways. Furthermore, a flood in April 1993 did extensive damage to the dam, rendering it almost useless. The project fell under the jurisdiction of both FEMA and Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

A number of issues needed to be addressed in this project. First, the Town wanted to maintain the historical aesthetics of the original timber-crib dam and of an historic mill building adjacent to the dam. Second, a bridge for Route 126 crosses Davis Stream immediately downstream of the dam; a wingwall of this dam was constricting the water flowing under it. Third, the soil conductivity of the alluvial plains under the dam site allowed for seepage. And fourth, the adjacent mill building was rotting because of the water flowing under it.

To address these issues, Acheron had to complete several tasks in cooperation with other parties. First, Acheron decided that the dam would not be strong enough if it were replaced with another timber-crib structure. However, to address the desires of the Town, Acheron designed a concrete structure for the stream's flow and a timber-crib facade to be added to the concrete so that the dam resembled the earlier dam. Second, the wingwall of the bridge was replaced under the supervision of the MDOT. To address the seepage, cut-off walls and timber piles were driven into the clay around the dam. A wall was added to the dam to protect the mill building from water and to retain the historical aesthetics of the building. Finally, the Town objected to using pressure-treated lumber on the timber-crib facade because it typically has a greenish tint. Consequently, Acheron located and incorporated into the dam's design a pressure-stained and pressure-treated style of lumber from a firm in New York. Construction of the dam began in the fall of 1994 and was substantially completed by January 1995.

Based on conceptual designs developed by Acheron, the Town of Winthrop retained Acheron to design and oversee the construction phase of the drainage improvements to Memorial Drive. The Town acknowledged that many problem areas were identified along the entire length of the roadway. Since the Town had money set aside for this specific project, they decided to do a total road reconstruction project. Several public meetings were held with the residents at various stages of the design phase. The purpose of these meetings were to gather information and a better understanding of the problem areas, address resident's concerns, keep residents informed and gain support for proposed modifications. An additional public meeting was held with the residents during the construction phase to answer any questions, address concerns and update them about the progress of the project. Acheron also obtained the necessary Natural Resource Protection Act (NRPA) permits and Planning Board approval.

Phase I was constructed during the fall and early winter of 1997 and encompassed the following:

14,630 linear feet of ditching,
2,170 linear feet of shoulder regrading,
4,130 linear feet of culverts,
100 linear feet of arch culverts,
300 linear feet of underdrain,
catch basin repair,
erosion control, including riprap, and
other related appurtenances.

Phase II is scheduled to begin in the spring of 1998 and will include road reconstruction, pavement, and curbing. The total project cost was approximately $386,000, of which $29,000 was designated for engineering.

For the Town of Newport, Acheron assisted in a Downtown Revitalization Project that was funded in part by monies from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The scope of work within the project area included: design of concrete sidewalks; parking lot reconstructions; coordination with New England Telephone Company to remove overhead utility cables and install buried cables; design of repairs to the existing storm drainage system; and development of a pedestrian river-front park along the Sebasticook River that included walking paths, picnic areas and a gazebo. Aesthetic improvements to the downtown area, including new street lighting, were also designed.

Acheron worked closely with the Town of Newport and its CDBG Advisory Committee to successfully complete this project. Numerous informational meetings were held with residents and downtown merchants to elicit public input into the design process. The final design was developed incorporating the suggestions and requests of the public to the greatest degree possible.

Following completion of the project design, Acheron developed bidding documents, assisted the Town in soliciting bids for the construction of the improvements, and provided construction administration services to assure the work was completed in compliance with the Contract Documents. The project was completed over a two-year period and encompassed the following:

1,350 linear feet of granite curbing replacement,
1,850 square yards of concrete sidewalks,
13 catch basins,
275 feet of storm sewer,
16 street lamps,
2,700 linear feet of electrical conduit,
an open-air gazebo, and
other related appurtenances.

The construction project was completed for approximately $200,000.

In 1996 and 1997, the Town of Newport retained Acheron to assist in developing conceptual designs and preliminary cost estimates for improvements to the storm sewer system in a large residential neighborhood adjacent to the Sebasticook River. The designs and cost estimates were utilized by the Town as part of their applications for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.

The subject neighborhood is situated along the Sebasticook River. The area is very flat and only marginally higher than the river. Existing storm sewers in the neighborhood were undersized and could not handle the drainage in the area. As a result, the area frequently flooded, causing health and safety concerns.

Acheron developed conceptual designs for the necessary storm sewer improvements including new catch basins and larger storm sewer pipes. The conceptual designs proposed new routes for drainage within the multiple neighborhood blocks. The designs were developed in cooperation with the Town and were based on discussions of the various drainage problems of neighborhood residents held during public forums.

In 1989, Acheron was retained by George Phelps to develop design drawings for a business plaza. The design was developed in two (2) phases. Phase I consisted of the construction of an 8,000-square foot hardware store, a lumber storage building and parking areas for the buildings. In addition, the existing buildings located on site were to be remodeled into an office-retail complex. The limits of Phase I did not exceed three (3) acres, therefore, a Site Location of Development permit was not required. Phase I received approval from the Town of Newport in February 1990.

Phase II was planned to consist of a 40-unit mall for retail stores and two (2) additional lumber storage buildings. The conceptual design for this phase was developed by Acheron. A Site Location of Development permit was started for this phase, but was terminated because the owner could not obtain the necessary investors required to support a project of this magnitude.

Portions of the permitted Phase I design were constructed during the early 1900s.

Scope of Work: Preparation of a Site Location of Development permit application for the construction of Plant No. 2, including final design and construction document development

In 1994, Acheron was retained by Guilford of Maine, Inc., to prepare a Site Location of Development permit application for the construction of a new yarn manufacturing facility. The new building was designed to be constructed in two phases. The first phase provided approximately 90,000 square feet of manufacturing floor space on one floor. Phase II, if needed, would have provided an additional 71,000 square feet. Because of the uncertainty of how soon Phase II could be constructed, both phases were permitted. The permit addressed all pertinent issues, including roadway entrance design, traffic studies, interior roadway and parking lot design, stormwater runoff and management, noise, utilities, (electrical, telephone, water and sewer), wetlands, soils, erosion, and sedimentation control, wildlife and fisheries and blasting. The application was submitted to the DEP in January 1995, and a Maine Department of Environmental Protection Site Location of Development Permit was issued in March 1995.

Guilford decided to complete Phase I as a design-build project. Acheron continued to provide services to Guilford during the entire construction phase. Some of the services provided by Acheron included design/construction drawings, construction observation and construction layout. This state-of-the-art manufacturing facility was completed and open for operation in the late fall of 1995.

Acheron prepared a Site Location of Development permit for a 20-acre facility, and other site improvements. Acheron achieved considerable success in completing an abbreviated permit application and expedited the permitting process for the Hinckley Company. All outstanding issues under the Site Law were addressed including: solid-waste disposal, water supply, roadways, traffic, surface drainage and runoff, stormwater management, sedimentation control, soils, wastewater disposal, groundwater and noise.

Acheron attended a pre-application meeting with representatives of the DEP prior to submitting the permit application. This process allowed Acheron to pro-actively discuss sensitive issues with the DEP and determine specific items that would not be required to be addressed. Since the successful completion of that application, Acheron continues to provide permitting services to the Hinckley Company as necessary.

Acheron prepared a Site Location of Development permit application for the Lane Construction Corporation concerning a proposed sand-and-gravel extraction from a 300-acre site in Stockton Springs. Also planned for the site were establishment and operation of a wet/dry crusher operation and an asphalt batch plant. The permit application addressed all pertinent issues, including interior roads, perimeter roads, and an intensive excavation and reclamation plan. The application was submitted to the DEP in February 1992 and a Maine Department of Environmental Protection Site Location and Development permit was issued in May of 1993.

Trues Pond Dam is located on the St. George River at the outlet of Trues Pond in Montville, Maine. The dam was originally constructed in the 1800s to provide hydromechanical power to a small downstream mill. This mill has since been abandoned. Recreational development around the lake, however, had produced interest in maintaining lake levels. The dam had deteriorated to the point that repairs were no longer feasible and must be replaced.

For construction of the replacement dam, Acheron prepared and submitted an NRPA Permit Application to the DEP. The DEP reviewed the Application and issued a permit. The proposed 15-foot-high concrete gravity dam with a stepped spillway was constructed downstream of the existing dam in the St. George River.

Since the St. George River at the Montville location is a Class A water, considerable attention was given to the development of the coffer-damming plan and the soil-erosion and sedimentation-control plan. These plans were designed to protect the pristine environment at the proposed dam site.