Editor’s Notebook

November/December 2008

Beyond the City Limits

Rural projects showcase some of the country’s most interesting energy and environmental work

By Mark Shaw

Over the past two years, Constructor has featured several U.S. cities where urban renewal is flourishing and construction, both vertical and horizontal, is happening at a fast pace. Our focus cities have included Seattle, St. Louis, Dallas/Fort Worth, Charlotte, Kansas City, Denver, and, most recently, Chicago.

In some cases, the makeovers have been more cosmetic, like the creation of a sculpture garden in Seattle’s waterfront district, and Denver’s preparations for this summer’s Democratic National Convention. Others, such as infrastructure improvements and entertainment construction in Dallas and Kansas City, have changed their urban core.

While those high-profile projects showcase the capabilities of some of the country’s biggest general contractors and their best practices, we realize there are plenty of important projects happening outside the urban corridors.

That’s why, in this issue of Constructor, we move beyond the city limits to highlight some innovative and important rural projects that are not just remaking their towns, but in some cases, actually saving them.

Writer Angelle Bergeron reports on efforts to slow down dangerous coastal erosion in Kivalina, a small fishing village on Alaska’s northwest coast. Brice Inc., the Fairbanks contractor that worked on the $4-million project to protect the town from the encroaching waters of the frigid Chukchi Sea, said the erosion had accelerated so much that the town was about to lose its schools and airport.

The story tells how the contractor designed a new tug-and-barge system to transport and place rockfill to bolster the town’s rapidly disappearing beach. It’s not a permanent fix, but the new revetment should give the villagers a few years to relocate.

Less dire, but crucial to America’s energy future, is Minneapolis’ Mortenson Construction’s role in adding to the country’s fast-growing number of rural wind farms. Next spring it will complete its 75th wind farm, with projects spread across 17 states.

Reporter Bruce Buckley describes how Mortenson’s wind-turbine crews have honed the erection of the giant towers and turbines down to an assembly-line science, in some cases, placing one or two towers per day. Each of the standard 1.5-kw turbines can generate enough electricity to power 400 homes for a year.

These are just a few examples of the many significant rural projects we will showcase in future issues of Constructor.