Senior Project Manager Chad Yount has been in the construction industry for 10 years. He started with Sundt in 2008 as a Field Engineer and worked his way to his current position, which he started this year.
Chad specializes in large-scale transportation work. His next assignment is bringing a world class linear park to the San Antonio community through the San Pedro Creek Improvements Project after serving as Project Manager on the $228 million Sellwood Bridge Replacement Project in Portland, Oregon.
How did the Portland community react to the finished product at Sellwood Bridge?
The community was very grateful and excited to have a new bridge connecting the Sellwood community to downtown Portland. The old Sellwood Bridge was failing structurally and was not safe for pedestrians and cyclists due to the narrow sidewalks. The new bridge will withstand a major earthquake and offers 12-foot sidewalks for the large bicycle community.
What did you learn from that work that can be applied to San Pedro Creek?
Bringing an iconic, complex project such as Sellwood Bridge through the heart of any city requires the community to modify its daily activities. We were able to engage the neighborhoods and all interest groups in efforts to minimize those disruptions. That will also be extremely important to the San Pedro project. We want all local businesses to thrive during construction. If they aren’t successful then we aren’t successful.
What are people in San Antonio identifying as the most important aspects of the project?
The project will improve flood control throughout the west side of downtown while bringing life back to the creek. San Antonio was founded on San Pedro Creek almost 300 years ago so remembering the heritage and culture of the area is top priority for the project.
What are some of the innovative approaches the team has planned?
The majority of the risk on the project is in what lies below ground. With any project through downtown the existing infrastructure is always a concern. To mitigate these risks, we have been using virtual design and construction to model all existing and new infrastructure. This helps us identify conflicts in the office during preconstruction instead of in the field when issues cost time and money.
How is the work progressing?
Because this is a CMAR project, we have been working with the design team and owner for the last six months. We’re excited to get started with horizontal directional drilling. After the New Year, the team will begin demolition and excavation on the north end of the project.