Connections and Certifications Earn Hayden Consultants Important Subconsultant Role
When HDR, Inc. was selected by the North Texas Tollway Authority as the lead design firm for Section 1 of the Trinity Parkway, the architectural, engineering and consulting firm wanted a major subconsultant with the right credentials and connections. It found both in Hayden Consultants.
The Trinity Parkway Project is a nine-mile, new-location, four- to six-lane tollway that will connect IH 35E to US 175 in Dallas. Based on the City of Dallas’ Balanced Vision Plan, this alignment has both eastbound and westbound travel lanes following adjacent to and on the North levee of the Trinity River.
Dan Ruth, project manager and transportation section manager for HDR appreciated Hayden Consultants’ standing in the industry as well as the firm’s status as a certified woman-owned, historically underutilized, disadvantaged business enterprise. He notes, “We’d heard that Rachel Hayden has a good reputation and does good work, so we wanted to put her on the team in a meaningful role where her firm could grow from it and ours could also.”
Hayden’s connections expedite approvals
As part of a formal mentor/protégé agreement between HDR and Hayden Consultants, the Hayden team was given a more significant role in the design of Trinity Parkway than is typical for a project of this magnitude. Rachel Hayden was named deputy project manager.
“Rachel has lots of contacts with the City of Dallas, so we were able to take advantage of that to facilitate going through the City of Dallas approval process,” Ruth says. “She helped us expedite some of the reviews and get in touch with decision makers, which helped us expedite plan development.”
Quick-learning Hayden team completed fast-track design work
Hayden Consultants was also responsible for geometric design of direct connectors from IH 35E and SH 183. In addition, Hayden designed the ramp geometry and superelevation for all freeway ramps and SH 183 frontage roads, as well as the reconstruction of city streets.
“Working with Hayden Consultants has gone extremely smoothly,” Ruth notes. “They have a lot of really good, really sharp people on their team.”
Ruth was especially impressed by the Hayden team’s ability to quickly learn HDR’s unfamiliar software, which was part of the mentoring relationship that allowed Hayden team members to acquire new skills.
Although the project was on a fast-track for submittal of design plans, it was placed on hold pending Trinity River levee studies.
“We will continue our relationship with Hayden Consultants when this project does start back up,” Ruth says. “In the meantime, we’re putting together proposals and putting Hayden Consultants on more project teams.”