Responsive, Adaptive Hayden Consultants Team Takes Complex Project in Stride
When the City of McKinney, Texas, set out to widen and reconstruct a major thoroughfare, the request-for-proposal process generated a short list of design firms who had the necessary skills and experience to tackle the complex project. But only one company stood out from the pack: Hayden Consultants.
“I had worked with some of the Hayden staff previously, and they did really well in their interview,” says Richard Larkins, P.E., transportation manager for the City of McKinney. “Based on that and their prior experience, we selected Hayden Consultants for this project.”
A complex project
The project, which was 95 percent complete as of September 2009, involves widening and reconstruction of approximately 5,500 linear feet of concrete pavement for Lake Forest Drive from US 380 to Wilmeth Road.
Based on Hayden Consultants’ design, the existing two-lane asphalt road will be replaced with a new, four-lane divided roadway, which will consist of 24-foot-wide concrete pavement each way, for a total pavement width of 48 feet.
The project also called upon Hayden to design approximately 11,750 linear feet of storm sewer, as well as new sidewalks and fire hydrants, replacement of driveway approaches, traffic control and construction sequencing, signal adjustments at US 380, and erosion-control plans. Hayden’s responsibilities also include preparation of drainage area maps and calculation of runoff, inlet sizing and spacing, and utility coordination.
Despite the intricacy of the project, the Hayden Consultants team has impressed Larkins with its ability to tackle project complexities and accurately incorporate client ideas into the plans.
“Because they’re a relatively smaller firm, Hayden Consultants is more attentive to detail with their projects,” Larkins says. “Some larger firms we do business with tend to work in ‘tell’ mode, not ‘listen’ mode. The Hayden team came in with ideas on the project, but were very receptive to customer input.”
Adapting to changing project plans
As with many municipal infrastructure projects, flexibility is key. The Hayden team has worked with the City of McKinney through right-of-way issues and other delays, and is taking into consideration the ultimate build-out of a six-lane divided roadway during design of the four-lane section.
Through it all, Hayden has proven to be an effective and reactive design partner.
“My impressions of Hayden Consultants are very positive,” Larkins says. “I’ve found the firm to be very refreshing to work with, highly responsive and very attentive to our needs. I have nothing but high praise for them.”