Major interstate resurfacing projects demand a combination of precision, speed, and careful coordination. The rehabilitation of Interstate 55 in Chicago stands as a prime example of how contractors can overcome tight restrictions and complex logistics to deliver high-quality pavement restoration. Plote Construction, based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, successfully completed the full-depth patching and resurfacing of 60 lane miles stretching from County Line Road east to Kedzie Avenue. The project, which ran from May 1, 2011 to October 24, 2011, took place entirely during night hours between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. For crews experienced in interstate resurfacing operations using advanced milling techniques, the I-55 project presented unique challenges that required innovative solutions.
Project Overview and Scope
The Interstate 55 resurfacing project became necessary due to extensive surface deterioration across multiple sections of the roadway. The pavement had undergone repeated patching over the years, and joint repairs between lanes were beginning to fail. Rather than pursuing a full reconstruction, the Illinois Department of Transportation opted for a 4-inch mill and overlay approach to extend the service life of the pavement structure.
The Challenge of Nighttime Interstate Work
Working on a major Chicago interstate required Plote to operate under a strict three-mile lane closure restriction in each direction. This meant that at no point could the contractor close more than three miles of roadway at any given time. The night schedule, running from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., further compressed the available working window. Every operation from initial milling to final striping had to be completed within this nine-hour timeframe, with the road opened to traffic each morning.
Rick Zera, general superintendent at Plote Construction, noted that the pavement condition warranted immediate attention. The surface had been patched extensively, and joint repairs between lanes were failing. The decision to mill down 4 inches and replace the material gave the roadway renewed structural integrity while avoiding the cost and disruption of a complete reconstruction.
Key Project Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total lane miles resurfaced | 60 lane miles |
| Project duration | May 1 to October 24, 2011 |
| Work hours | 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. (nightly) |
| Lane closure limit | 3 miles per direction |
| Total asphalt tonnage | 126,000 tons (combined) |
| SMA binder used | 60,000 tons |
| SMA surface used | 66,000 tons |
| Milling depth | 4 inches total (2+2 inch stages) |
| Full-depth patching material | N105 binder (4,800 tons) |
The project required six different material types, including specialized mixes for ramps and shoulders. The right and left shoulders received different treatments because the left shoulders needed to be rehabilitated to handle rush hour paced bus traffic. The left shoulders were milled and received both an N70 binder and N70 surface, while the right shoulders received only the N70 surface as a cost-saving measure for IDOT.
Milling and Paving Operations
Plote developed a carefully choreographed sequence of operations that maximized productivity within the tight nighttime window. The milling and paving operations ran simultaneously on different sections of the closure, requiring precise coordination between crews and equipment.
Two-Stage Milling Process
The main line work used a two-stage milling approach. The initial operation used two Wirtgen 2200 grinders to remove the top 2 inches of existing surface. After this first pass, the road was restriped and opened to traffic on the milled 2-inch surface. Once the milling operation had advanced far enough along the corridor, crews would drop back and begin the second stage.
The second stage involved a complete paving train that would grind the final 2 inches, sweep the surface, apply prime coat, and pave 2 inches of Stone Matrix Asphalt binder in a single nightly operation. Per crew, the team was able to install approximately 1,200 tons of binder per night. Plote crews only milled what they could replace in the same shift, ensuring the road was never left in a vulnerable condition overnight. This approach was possible because the remaining material on top of the base was still structurally sound.
Equipment Configuration and Paving Train
The equipment spread for the I-55 project was substantial and carefully selected for the scale of the work. The mainline paving was completed using two different paver configurations:
- Caterpillar AP1055 rubber-track paver for mainline operations
- Barber-Greene BG260C rubber-tire paver for mainline backup
- Caterpillar AP600 rubber-tire paver for shoulder paving
- Two Roadtec SB2500 material transfer devices for continuous material delivery
- Compaction equipment including two 3-wheel ballasted rollers, two Sakai America RH2 rollers, and four Ingram Compaction AS315 rollers
Roller Configuration for Surface Quality
When paving the surface course, Plote used three 3-wheeled rollers with a fourth roller dedicated as a finishing roller. The team conducted bump testing as they progressed, looking for surface defects that could be corrected with the fourth roller while the mix remained hot enough to work. This extra roller also enabled the installation of inlaid tape for the skip-dashes between lanes without slowing down the paving operation, as the fourth roller could handle tape installation duties independently.
For contractors interested in the latest techniques for milling and recycling on interstate-scale projects, high-production milling and RAP recycling methods offer additional strategies for maximizing material efficiency on large-scale resurfacing operations.
Materials and Mix Design
The I-55 project utilized multiple asphalt mix types tailored to different pavement layers and traffic conditions. The material selection reflected both structural requirements and cost optimization goals set by IDOT.
Full-Depth Patching with Class D HMA
During the first month of the project, Plote crews performed full-depth Class D Hot Mix Asphalt patching on areas designated by the engineers. This involved removing the existing wearing surface and base material down to the aggregate subbase, then filling the void with N105 binder patching material. The N105 binder is a larger aggregate product that produces a stronger mix, making it suitable for heavy traffic interstate applications. A total of 4,800 tons of N105 binder was used for patching operations.
Additional material types used on the project included a polylevel binder for miscellaneous entrance and exit ramps, 30,000 tons of N70 surface applied over the polylevel binder and shoulders, and 19,000 tons of N70 binder used on the left shoulder under the N70 surface. The different shoulder treatments reflected the varying traffic loads each shoulder was expected to carry.
Stone Matrix Asphalt for Mainline Paving
The mainline resurfacing used Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA), a gap-graded mix that provides superior durability and rut resistance for high-traffic applications. The project used 60,000 tons of SMA binder and 66,000 tons of SMA surface. Understanding the differences between various resurfacing approaches is essential for selecting the right treatment. Concrete resurfacing and pavement surface repair techniques provide useful comparisons when evaluating treatment options for deteriorated pavement surfaces.
Pay for Performance Quality System
The I-55 project was one of the first large-scale applications of IDOT’s Pay for Performance (PFP) system in District 1. Unlike traditional acceptance methods, PFP evaluates pavement quality across three categories, each weighted as a percentage of the pay factor:
- Voids in the mix: 30 percent of pay factor
- Voids in Mineral Aggregates (VMA): 30 percent of pay factor
- Density: 40 percent of pay factor
Under the PFP system, asphalt is evaluated in 10,000-ton lots, each consisting of ten 1,000-ton sub-lots. For each sub-lot, random cores are taken from the field to check density, and one random sample is taken from the HMA plant after the mix is dumped into the truck. IDOT pulls over the truck and takes a sample to determine voids and VMA for that sub-lot.
Field density samples are taken every 1,056 feet at random locations within the paved lane. For the I-55 project, the 126,000 tons of combined SMA binder and surface created 12 lots of PFP evaluation. Contractors must meet a baseline with limited tolerance above and below specification. Going outside the tolerance range affects the pay factor for that sub-lot. In extreme cases, contractors can be required to remove and replace the sub-lot at no cost to the owner.
For projects involving concrete pavement restoration, concrete overlay design, materials selection, and installation techniques offer alternative approaches for resurfacing existing concrete surfaces where asphalt overlay may not be the preferred solution.
Quality Control and Project Outcomes
The I-55 resurfacing project achieved exceptional quality results and received industry recognition. The success stemmed from meticulous quality control procedures and effective coordination between day and night operations teams.
Rideability and Profilograph Results
The project achieved a high rideability score, driven by the proactive quality control approach used during paving. The rolling pattern using three 3-wheeled rollers plus a dedicated finishing roller allowed the crew to identify and correct surface defects while the mix was still workable. Bump testing conducted during paving operations revealed imperfections that the fourth roller could address immediately. The team credited this approach with significantly enhancing their profilograph results, which measure pavement smoothness.
Overcoming Logistical Challenges
The three-mile lane closure restriction required careful choreography of multiple subcontractors working within the same closure zone. Plote used a rolling closure strategy, starting at the east end of the project and working westward. When the operation advanced far enough, the crew would extend the closure by an additional mile, but would simultaneously close the first mile to release traffic, ensuring the total closure never exceeded three miles at any point.
This strategy required careful coordination of all subcontractor operations within the closure limits. Rick Zera credited the success of completing this difficult job to the communication between day and night superintendents. The project included multiple simultaneous operations from the initial grind to the installation of lane markers and reflectors, all of which had to be coordinated within the available closure window.
Industry Recognition
In December 2011, the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association hosted the Contractor of the Year Awards, where IDOT awarded Plote Construction with the Hot Mix Asphalt Award for its work on the I-55 project. The project received the award for being the largest project in Metro Chicago completed on time. It was also the first project in the region to use shoulders for public transportation during rush hours, demonstrating innovative use of available infrastructure.
The I-55 resurfacing project demonstrates that successful interstate rehabilitation requires careful planning, appropriate equipment selection, quality materials, and rigorous quality control. The two-stage milling approach, Pay for Performance quality system, and innovative shoulder rehabilitation all contributed to a project that delivered long-lasting pavement performance under challenging nighttime conditions.