L S Jensen Construction current projects

Current Projects

Highway 93 Bear Creek Road - South

US 93 Bear Creek Road South is a rehabilitation project between milepost 53.71 (South of the Sheafman Creek Road intersection) and milepost 56.33 (North of the Bear Creek Road Intersection) in Ravalli County. The project includes the following major components:

NWE Utility Relocation Work
Irrigation/Drain Culvert Installation
Mill Creek Bridge Work
Pavement Pulverization and Grading
Aggregate and Asphalt Paving Surfacing ~ Highway and Bike Path
Guardrail; Rumble Strips; Cattle Guards; Fencing; Luminaire Assemblies; Signage
Pavement markings; Tree and Shrub Planting; Topsoil & Seeding

Latest Updates
Bridge work, Pipe Installation, and excavation/embankment to be completed this summer. Please use caution in the workzone.

Contractor Contact
CJ Beardsley
LS Jensen Construction & Ready Mix
4685 Mullan Road
Missoula, MT 59808
406.532.4809 (direct) 406.728.1400 (main office)

Project Expected Schedule
(weather permitting)

Utility Relocation Work
March/May 2011

Grading/Bridge Work/Wildlife Crossing March/August 2011

Culvert/Drainage Work
March/July 2011

Asphalt Paving
September/October 2011

Striping; Rumble Strips/Fencing
September/October 2011

Chip Seal
Spring/Summer 2012

Expect delays, reduced speeds and lane diversions starting approx. April 15th. Construction activities prior to that should not have a significant impact to motorists or residents.

Further advisories will be sent out as updates are available with more detail regarding the overall construction schedule anticipated around mid-April.

VIEW MAP

LS Jensen Construction & Ready Mix Replaces 100 year-old Irrigation Siphon in the Bitter Root Valley On October 5^th, 2009 LS Jensen Construction & Ready Mix entered into a contract with the Bitter Root Irrigation District to install 560 LF of 72” steel pipe siphon and associated improvements for the Siphon 1 – Phase 1 Replacement Project North of Darby, Montana. The original request for proposal included an additional 350 feet of 66” steel pipe and associated improvements respectfully but due to lack of sufficient funding it was deleted from the contract. The project is being funded through a Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation loan and a DNRC American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant with matching funds from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Throughout the Irrigation district’s history, they have been continually plagued by lack of funding causing serious financial troubles including bankruptcy in 1916. As a direct result of money problems contractors thru time have been affected and this project was no different. As it was the Irrigation district scrambled to collect 60% of its water user signatures by July 31^st of this year to unlock the federal contributions and authorize the loan of state funds for only the 72” pipe. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, construction standards were not as high in the early 1900’s as they are today. So ultimately the irrigation system’s concrete structures, the 70 miles of canals and the mile-long irrigation siphon pipes are suffering, jeopardizing the structural integrity and potentially causing a total loss of water for 1,375 irrigators on the 16, 665 irrigable acres, including possible damage to the river system wetlands and adjacent US Highway 93. LS Jensen Construction’s scope of work in phase one includes replacing the intake structure and the 72” steel pipe. Crews demolished the existing intake structure and siphon last year and the new intake and siphon, located in the same location as the existing, is still in-progress. It was not until December 10^th LS Jensen Construction was notified the remaining funds for the 66” steel pipe had been approved but by this time valuable production time had been lost not to mention the rescheduling of crews, equipment and subcontractors. Even the most planned out projects can suffer due to unforeseeable conditions and since the project was bid to place the pipe from the bottom up and the 66” was at the bottom, pipe installation was postponed until approval was received but now two months had passed. With liquidated damages for this project at the rate of $4,000 per each calendar day after March 15^th, 2010 (rate based on lack of supplying irrigation water to 16,665 acres of cropland potentially crippling the local economy), the LS Jensen Construction team had no time to waste. To-date the project is back on schedule because of due diligence, downright hard-work and the ingenuity of our management team and field personnel. LS Jensen’s success is attributed to our “unsung heroes" in the field adapting, improvising, and overcoming the difficult challenges this project has presented. LS Jensen Construction installs miles of pipe every year only this time it involves some seriously steep terrain, a 1.5H: 1V slope for a portion of the project, the remaining portion with 3H:1V and 4H:1V slopes. The elevation difference from the inlet structure to the connection at the bottom of the hillside is 260 feet so getting the pipe there took some creativity as well. It is going to take a lot more than that to stop our talented, innovative field personnel, from finding a solution to any problem because we are completing the project safely and in budget. After a recent site visit, Stan Dugdale, LSJ Vice President congratulated the crews on a great job keeping safe and making sure that the equipment is not being put in a bad position. To-date our crews have worked without incident despite the potential risks of steep slopes, winter conditions and pipe weights ranging upward to 12,450 pounds. There are five phases in all, each one driven by funding appropriations. LS Jensen Construction hopes it can be successful in acquiring the remaining four phases and continue to become a part of the Bitter Root Valley Community history.

LS Jensen Construction & Ready Mix Replaces 100 year-old Irrigation Siphon in the Bitter Root Valley

On October 5^th, 2009 LS Jensen Construction & Ready Mix entered into a contract with the Bitter Root Irrigation District to install 560 LF of 72” steel pipe siphon and associated improvements for the Siphon 1 – Phase 1 Replacement Project North of Darby, Montana. The original request for proposal included an additional 350 feet of 66” steel pipe and associated improvements respectfully but due to lack of sufficient funding it was deleted from the contract.

The project is being funded through a Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation loan and a DNRC American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant with matching funds from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Throughout the Irrigation district’s history, they have been continually plagued by lack of funding causing serious financial troubles including bankruptcy in 1916. As a direct result of money problems contractors thru time have been affected and this project was no different. As it was the Irrigation district scrambled to collect 60% of its water user signatures by July 31^st of this year to unlock the federal contributions and authorize the loan of state funds for only the 72” pipe.

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, construction standards were not as high in the early 1900’s as they are today. So ultimately the irrigation system’s concrete structures, the 70 miles of canals and the mile-long irrigation siphon pipes are suffering, jeopardizing the structural integrity and potentially causing a total loss of water for 1,375 irrigators on the 16, 665 irrigable acres, including possible damage to the river system wetlands and adjacent US Highway 93. LS Jensen Construction’s scope of work in phase one includes replacing the intake structure and the 72” steel pipe. Crews demolished the existing intake structure and siphon last year and the new intake and siphon, located in the same location as the existing, is still in-progress.

It was not until December 10^th LS Jensen Construction was notified the remaining funds for the 66” steel pipe had been approved but by this time valuable production time had been lost not to mention the rescheduling of crews, equipment and subcontractors. Even the most planned out projects can suffer due to unforeseeable conditions and since the project was bid to place the pipe from the bottom up and the 66” was at the bottom, pipe installation was postponed until approval was received but now two months had passed.

With liquidated damages for this project at the rate of $4,000 per each calendar day after March 15^th, 2010 (rate based on lack of supplying irrigation water to 16,665 acres of cropland potentially crippling the local economy), the LS Jensen Construction team had no time to waste. To-date the project is back on schedule because of due diligence, downright hard-work and the ingenuity of our management team and field personnel.

LS Jensen’s success is attributed to our “unsung heroes" in the field adapting, improvising, and overcoming the difficult challenges this project has presented. LS Jensen Construction installs miles of pipe every year only this time it involves some seriously steep terrain, a 1.5H: 1V slope for a portion of the project, the remaining portion with 3H:1V and 4H:1V slopes. The elevation difference from the inlet structure to the connection at the bottom of the hillside is 260 feet so getting the pipe there took some creativity as well. It is going to take a lot more than that to stop our talented, innovative field personnel, from finding a solution to any problem because we are completing the project safely and in budget.

After a recent site visit, Stan Dugdale, LSJ Vice President congratulated the crews on a great job keeping safe and making sure that the equipment is not being put in a bad position. To-date our crews have worked without incident despite the potential risks of steep slopes, winter conditions and pipe weights ranging upward to 12,450 pounds.

There are five phases in all, each one driven by funding appropriations. LS Jensen Construction hopes it can be successful in acquiring the remaining four phases and continue to become a part of the Bitter Root Valley Community history.