October 14, 2024 Sturgeon Electric Wins 2024 NECA Project Excellence Award for Central 70 Highway Expansion in Denver
Highly Complex Project was Completed with Exceptional Operational & Safety Performance
For the second time in three years, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) recognized the hard work and creative thinking of Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc. (Sturgeon Electric), awarding the company the 2024 NECA Project Excellence Award in the transportation category for the Central 70 (C70) highway expansion project.
Forming one of the economic backbones of Colorado, C70 – a 10-mile section of Interstate 70 between Brighton Boulevard and Chambers Road in Denver – provides an essential connection to Denver International Airport from the city. As many as 200,000 vehicles per day travel along this stretch of highway and 1,200 businesses call it home.
Central 70 was a monumental project that required the entire team to assess how we perform our work and improve performance, including procurement, scheduling, methodology, quality, performance, reliability – and of course – safety. Everyone who worked on Central 70 should be proud of this accomplishment because we couldn’t have done it without you.
– Sturgeon Electric Vice President, Transportation Jim Bushnell
However, time had taken its toll on C70 after it had been built in the 1950s, and its completion split two communities for more than 60 years. Five years and $1.3 billion later, the largest transportation project in state history at the time was completed, creating a safer and more efficient freeway while reconnecting communities long divided by the aging highway infrastructure.
Sturgeon Electric worked in close collaboration with Kiewit Meridiam Partners and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to successfully complete this highly visible project. From the estimate/design concept in 2015 to the final completion in July 2023, the C70 project was a massive undertaking for Colorado, easily its most ambitious transportation initiative.
“Central 70 was a monumental project that required the entire team to assess how we perform our work and improve performance, including procurement, scheduling, methodology, quality, performance, reliability – and of course – safety,” Sturgeon Electric Vice President, Colorado Transportation Jim Bushnell said. “Everyone who worked on Central 70 should be proud of this accomplishment because we couldn’t have done it without you.”
Sturgeon Electric’s C70 project team also received the NECA Transformation Information award for showcasing exceptional expertise and commitment to electrical and technological excellence.
In total, 13 miles of roadway were widened, and an additional one or two express lanes (in certain areas) were added in each direction. The project removed the original 57-year-old viaduct that supported the existing highway (over three railroads, hence the highway over or under) between Brighton and Colorado Boulevards, instead lowering the interstate below grade. This allowed for the rejoining of two communities, divided for six decades, by a four-acre public park and cross streets.
Sturgeon Electric completed the electrical scope of work for the project – totaling $120 million – which included temporary and permanent traffic signals, roadway lighting, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and electrical for the park, making it the largest single project CDOT had ever awarded.
READ MORE: Sturgeon Electric Pulls Together as a Company to Complete the Central 70 Project in Denver
The project also improved access to multi-modal transportation facilities with updated sidewalks and following Denver’s bike plan, replacing the formerly dark and rundown section of highway that previously existed under the viaduct, making travel safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike. Sturgeon Electric’s work added much-needed lighting to both the park and transportation facilities along C70. Improved infrastructure is also expected to greatly improve the economic vitality of the surrounding businesses by reducing congestion and offering a far safer road design, cutting down on delivery delays.
The C70 project showed why Sturgeon Electric is a proven industry leader in safety, completing this complex and highly visible project with zero lost time incidents across five years and 648,699 total (Sturgeon Electric) hours worked.
This was the largest single project Sturgeon Electric’s C&I division had ever taken on, and we’re extremely proud of all the men and women who placed safety above everything else over five years. It was not just the safety of Sturgeon Electric crews they looked after, but the safety of all contractors on the project – and the traveling public – a true sign of their commitment and dedication.
“Safety is not just a priority, it’s a core value that drives excellence in every one of our projects,” Sturgeon Electric C&I President Don Egan said. “We’re honored to receive another NECA Project Excellence Award, and I would like to thank all of our employees for their hard work and dedication on Central 70.”
In the end, Sturgeon Electric played a pivotal role in greatly improving the safety, connectivity, and efficiency of one of Denver’s economic backbones. The completion of this years-long project was a monumental success for the city and state, and we were honored to help bring this aging stretch of highway into the 21st century and positively influence communities in the process.
PROJECT CARD: https://sturgeonelectric.com/projects/central-70-project/