Never has it been more true that time is money. With the rising cost of construction materials each passing day erodes project budgets. Our wide ranging staff of transportation experts provides experienced designers with a resource to help them examine projects from every direction to save money, while providing thorough plans that keep projects on the move. Services include:
- Urban/Residential Street Design
- Highway/Freeway Design
- Interchanges
- Corridor Design
- Pedestrian Trails
- Signage
- Striping
- Signal Warrant Studies
- Signal Design & Synchronization
- Design-Build Transportation Projects
- Pavement Management Systems
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- Streets & Roads
- Tapawingo Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Client: City of West Lafayette
 The need to connect people and places drives most transportation projects and this new 4-lane road from State Road 26 and US 231 does exactly that. The project, intended to alleviate congestion and open the area for future development, also features a paved walking and biking trail with greenspace and lighting to enhance access for new residential development to retail and restaurants, as well as nearby Purdue University.
- Conwell Street, Aurora, Indiana
- Client: City of Aurora
Serving as a gateway to the downtown area, Conwell Street is built into the side of a steep hill and is lined by single-family homes and a few adjacent businesses. Because of the steep terrain, many of the residences have steep slopes and retaining walls leading to the street with some in a state of near failure. Driven by a concern for safety, BLA’s design adjusts the alignment of the road to slightly straighten out curves in order to improve sight lines. In an effort to return life to the neighborhood, the project also calls for new concrete curbs, sidewalks, driveway and street approach reconstruction, as well as removal and replacement of isolated retaining walls that are either in conflict with the roadway alignment or failing.
Highway/Freeway- IL 141, New Haven, Illinois
- Client: Illinois Department of Transportaton
This Phase II engineering project involved right-of-way plans, contract plans, special provisions and estimates for the rehabilitation of IL 141 (FAP 877) from New Haven to 2 miles east of New Haven. Work included land surveys, property descriptions, and the preparation of plats and plans; ground field surveys (DTM); highway drainage design; and erosion control plans. This project also included flattening and stabilizing existing slopes, asphalt and aggregate shoulders, creating an erosion control plan, and extending box culverts.
- US 41 Design-Build, Knox County, Indiana
- Client: Indiana Department of Transportation
 This road reconstruction stretches from State Road 241 to the US 50 Interchange. Retaining walls were used to lower the profile grade of US 41 near the Hart Street and State Road 61 underpasses in order to increase the vertical clearance to a minimum of 16 feet. Roadside safety issues were addressed as part of the project. An Engineer’s Report was developed after design and construction to identify the areas that were substandard and could not be addressed because of the limits of the existing right-of-way.
Interchanges- I-57/I-70, Effingham, Illinois
- Client: Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)
 IDOT retained BLA to provide design services to rehabilitate and expand a total of 7.7 miles of roadway with nine overpasses for this major interchange. The purpose of the upgrade is to reduce the traffic congestion volume, especially truck, and to improve safety by reconstructing the existing roadway and adding an additional lane. Major interchanges and ramp terminals will also be reconstructed to meet current standards. At US Route 45, the interchange will be partially reconstructed to increase the weaving section near the north tri-level. Reconstruction of the ramps will be completed at the Keller Drive interchange and the Fayette Avenue interchange will be completely reconstructed. These new interchanges will also provide increased access for the movement of goods as the area continues to develop.
- I-465 Interchange Reconstruction, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Client: Indiana Department of Transportation
 As many as 178,000 vehicles a day pass over this busy section of I-465, making it one of the most heavily traveled locations in the state of Indiana. This high demand prompted the redesign of the interchange to include eight lanes of main lane with as many as of eight additional lanes supporting the ramps. A key challenge for BLA engineers on this $75 million project was developing a design and construction phasing that would minimize disruption to the many travelers who depend on the interchange daily.
Design for reconstruction involved the reconfiguration of a complex collector-distributor interchange with 10 bridge structure replacements or rehabilitations. All mainline pavements were replaced and ramps reconstructed while maintaining traffic. During the development of the construction plans for the second phase, it was determined that the contractor could have difficulty in completing all the work in one construction season, so BLA developed a scenario where a large amount of work could be done at one time without affecting the overall movement of traffic along I-465.
Trails- Pigeon Creek Greenway, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation
 Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage is a proposed 42-mile system of pedestrian and bicycle trails linking residential, commercial, institutional, and recreational facilities around the City of Evansville. BLA is responsible for the initial development of Phase 3, Section C, a 3.2-mile section that will ultimately connect the terminus of Section 3B with the previously constructed phases. Floodplain issues, difficult terrain crossings, safety measures related to traffic, and enhancement measures were among the many design features of this project.
Largely located on the levee system, this portion of the trail will offer safe travel from the downtown area to Garvin Park, Lamasco Park, Golfmoor Ball Fields, as well as the newly developed Skate Park. In addition, this will also allow for connection of the Evansville waterfront area to the other parks in the city. The historic Ohio Street Bridge, which was to be renovated, will be incorporated into the trail and renamed the Joan Marchand Overlook after a former local historian. Across the street from the Joan Marchand Overlook where a scrap metal yard once existed, is a park where Evansville's industrial history is featured along with a trail head and park amenities such as canoe launch ramps, benches and landscaping.
- Ouabache State Park Bike Trail Design, Wells County, Indiana
- Client: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Indiana DNR retained BLA to develop the location and design of a bicycle trail for the Ouabache State Park. Previously, a bicycle trail existed from Bluffton to a mile west of the park. Indiana DNR wished to extend this trail through the park along the Wabash River to a point near the east side of the park and then engage a service road which ran through the park. This facility allowed hikers and bicyclists to travel all the way from Bluffton to the state park and within the state park to the camping and recreational areas. The project length was 4.2 miles (22,500 feet).
Traffic Studies- Safety Study for the Intersection of IL Route 32 & Bruce Findlay Road, Moultrie County, Illinois
- Client: Illinois Department of Transportation
Conducted a safety study to investigate potential causes of accidents and evaluate potential improvements to reduce accidents at the intersection of IL Route 32 and Bruce Findlay Road. The scope of work included data collection, traffic signal warrant analysis, multi-way stop warrant analysis, an evaluation of the existing roadway network, an analysis of the existing roadway network with future roadway improvements, a crash analysis, and recommendations for improvements to the intersection.
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