MNS Engineers was awarded the on-call structures construction inspection services contract for Caltrans District 5 (Structures) for a four year term. Caltrans District 5 stretches through the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.
Category Archives: Transportation
City of Santa Clarita receives 2014 APWA Project of the Year Award
The City of Santa Clarita received the 2014 APWA Project of the Year Award from the Southern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the Newhall Roundabout. This $2.2M roundabout design project created a main gateway to the historic Newhall commercial district and optimized traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures at the busy intersection. MNS Engineers, Inc. (MNS) provided engineering and construction surveying services. [ read more… ]
MNS CM Transportation Department Wins the Golden Valley Road Bridge Widening Project
The Golden Valley Road / SR-14 Interchange Project represents the final link in the 8.5 mile Cross Valley Connector, which provides a high volume access route along the Santa Clarita Valley corridor between the I-5/SR-126 Interchange and SR-14. Along with the construction of Newhall Ranch Road and the Golden Valley Parkway Bridge over the Santa Clara River, this vital link is a crucial element in accommodating the enormous expansion of residential development, industry, and commerce in the region. This project has been years in planning and design. [ read more… ]
MNS Transportation Wins the Cabrillo Boulevard Bridge Project Over Mission Creek!
Congratulations to the MNS team for their win on the Cabrillo Boulevard Bridge Replacement Project! The project is located right down the street from our Santa Barbara office next to Stearn’s Wharf.
History of Cabrillo Boulevard Bridge
This historic bridge was originally built in 1913, but additional reconstruction was performed in 1927 and 1977. This bridge was built on one of the busiest roads in Santa Barbara because it is right next to the iconic Stearn’s Wharf pier which brings in a lot of tourism into Santa Barbara.
One of the City’s objectives is to preserve the architectural integrity of the aesthetic features reflecting these periods of history that have long contributed to the atmosphere of the waterfront community in the region. Therefore, both the structural and architectural features of the replacement project have been carefully planned to include features that are consistent with the historic nature of this highly used public facility.
MNS CM Transportation Department Wins US 101/Los Osos Valley Road Interchange Improvements Project!
Congratulations to the MNS team for their win on the Los Osos Valley Road Interchange Improvement! The US 101/Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) Interchange Improvements Project represents a vital improvement for traffic capacity and circulation in southern San Luis Obispo.
The current three-lane Los Osos Valley Road interchange was built in 1962. As the City and population has grown, the interchange is in need of structural repair and widening to improve travel conditions and accessibility to a variety of transportation types. The purpose of the US 101/LOVR Interchange Improvements project is to maximize the efficiency of LOVR and the US 101/LOVR Interchange in order to improve functionality and accommodate the growing amount of traffic. LOVR serves as the only primary east/west corridor between South Higuera Street and the community of Los Osos.
Pitkins Curve: Transportation Construction Management
MNS Transportation Division, Construction Management Team: Spotlight Project
Hazardous Rock-slides on One of California’s Landmark Motorways
The Pitkins Curve and Rain Rocks Shed project, located between Monterey and Cambria on California State Route 1 (Highway 1) was a major undertaking aimed at making a dangerous section of the scenic state highway safer for motorists.
The Pitkins Curve area of Highway 1 is part of an active landslide; rock slides are a fact of life here, rather than an unusual occurrence. Its geological composition is particularly unstable. Rock slides repeatedly closed the original road and presented a significant danger to motorists.
Foreseeing that Pitkins Curve would continue to be a major safety issue and an access impediment for the millions of tourists traveling through the area each year, not to mention a major maintenance and cost issue, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) developed an innovative solution to the problem. [ read more… ]
MNS Chosen for Lindero Canyon Road Bridge Improvements
The Lindero Canyon Road Bridge Improvements project is the third component of a three phase improvement plan to improve circulation and reduce traffic congestion along the Lindero Canyon Road corridor. The interchange is an important link for motorists to access commercial, industrial, and residential areas on both sides of the freeway. This project primarily modifies the existing bridge overpass at Lindero Canyon Road and Highway 101, and the approaching roadway. These modifications will include: removal of the existing center median; addition of a travel lane in each direction; removal and replacement of the existing exterior barriers with aesthetic treatments; northbound Lindero Canyon Road on-ramp median modification; and related grading, drainage, utility and traffic signal improvements.
The City of Westlake Village chose MNS to provide construction management services for this project.
Concrete Art on California’s Highways
Whether you know it or not, you’ve seen concrete stamping before—from freeway structures we use every day to landmarks of ancient architecture, this technique for molding or impressing scenes and patterns into wet concrete is used to add visual interest to what could otherwise be seen as boring slabs of cement. [ read more… ]
Rocky Creek Viaduct: Safer Transportation Infrastructure
In April of 2011, a landslide damaged a 200-foot portion of California State Route 1—a historic part of our state’s transportation infrastructure—along the steep cliffs between Bixby Bridge and Rocky Creek Bridge, south of Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea.
The hillside was stabilized right away using a soil nail wall, but the highway had to be reduced to one lane with signal-controlled traffic through the area. The Rocky Creek Viaduct, a 600-foot bridge structure, is being constructed to completely replace the roadway adjacent to the repaired slope. Creating a bridge here means future landslides won’t affect the Viaduct area—any slide material will pass between the bridge and the hillside, keeping motorists safe and preventing further expensive damage to this stretch of road. [ read more… ]
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