Smaller Is Better: City of Carrollton Works One-on-One with Hayden Designers
For Tom Geier, P.E., capital improvement projects manager for the City of Carrollton, Texas, working one-on-one with designers can help make the infrastructure design process both smooth and enjoyable.
“I prefer working with medium to smaller firms than larger firms, where you talk to the people who’ve done a million projects, but those aren’t the ones who will be working on your jobs,” Geier says. “I like working on the level of the people who are actually going to do the jobs.”
With a small and accessible design team, Hayden Consultants was the ideal candidate to perform the design work for Carrollton’s McCoy Road reconstruction project.
“Hayden Consultants did a good job on their project interview, and we chose them because we wanted to give somebody new a chance to do a project with us,” says Geier. He wasn’t disappointed.
Smooth design process for a complex project
Hayden Consultants provided design of the reconstruction of 3,000 linear feet of 36- to 40-foot-wide concrete pavement for McCoy Road, from Jackson Road to Trinity Mills. Design included horizontal alignment, vertical alignment with plan and profile of proposed top of curb, retaining wall layouts, drainage and storm sewer design, signing and pavement marking, and traffic- and erosion-control plans.
Hayden also provided detailed driveway and intersection grading plans for incorporation of accessibility ramps at street and driveway crossings. The design included approximately 3,000 linear feet of 12” water main replacement and 1,500 linear feet of 8” wastewater main replacement.
Hayden used GEOPAK software to produce cross-sections at 50-foot intervals and at driveways and cross-streets. Because the roadway fronts an elementary school, the project required special provisions limiting construction time to non-school months.
“The Hayden team was good to work with and receptive to my comments on their plans,” Geier says. “Everything went well, and there were no problems.”
Hayden team “easy to work with”
Since the McCoy Road reconstruction, the City has hired Hayden Consultants to design another roadway project for the City of Carrollton, and Geier has recommended Hayden Consultants to those inquiring about them.
“Hayden Consultants did what needed to be done to get the plans into a good final form, and they were easy to work with,” Geier says. “They’re reasonable in contract negotiations and give us the plans we want. Those are the type of people I like.”