Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Expansion Completed by SPK Joint Venture
April 17, 2006
ST. LOUIS – The SPK Joint Venture, a partnership of Jacobs Engineering, Parsons Corp. and Kwame Building Group
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Lambert-St. Louis International Airport |
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Lindbergh Tunnel |
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Concrete work |
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Installing light cans |
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Installing rebar |
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Installing rebar |
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Tunnel utilities |
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Tunnel utlities |
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Tunnel under construction |
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Tunnel ground preparations |
(KWAME), and the Lambert Airport Program Management Office have completed work on the $1.059 billion construction management of the $1 billion Lambert–St. Louis International Airport Expansion. The Lambert–St. Louis Airport Expansion program was the largest public works project in St. Louis history, spanning a seven-year project schedule.
The SPK Joint Venture was formed to manage the airport expansion and ensure timely completion and cost efficiency. Kwame Building Group, a minority-owned firm, was a full partner in the SPK joint venture team, led by Mike Minges, a KWAME employee. This marked the first time a minority-owned company held a lead role on a major Lambert–St. Louis International Airport project.
The seven-year expansion program provided more than 4,000 construction jobs and involved nearly 550 companies and organizations, most of which are St. Louis-based. The program also contracted with 100 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms, resulting in approximately 21 percent DBE participation, which exceeded federal guidelines.
“The minority and woman entrepreneurs were able to finish this project as stronger, more competitive and better prepared to bid on future prime contracts,” said Tony Thompson, president and CEO of KWAME.
The Lambert–St. Louis International Airport Expansion project expanded Lambert–St. Louis International Airport’s airfield capacity with a new 9,000-foot runway, the first new runway at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport since 1955. The expansion allows the airport to handle 34 percent more air traffic on a clear day and 63 percent more air traffic during inclement weather. A new state-of-the-art traffic tunnel, built to carry Lindbergh Boulevard traffic beneath the new runway, was completed in September 2004, ahead of schedule, under budget and free of accidents. The Lindbergh Tunnel is the first traffic tunnel to be built in the State of Missouri.
The expansion included more than 115 separate projects spread over an area more than twice the size of New York’s Central Park. Enough soil was moved to create a pile six feet high by six feet wide from the Mississippi River to Seattle, Washington. Elements included the 9,000-foot runway, two new taxiways, a new airfield fire station, a new school and fire station for the airport’s surrounding area.
The SPK Joint Venture Team and the Lambert–St. Louis International Airport Expansion received numerous awards and recognitions on the project, even before full completion. The St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers recently honored the SPK Joint Venture Team and the Lambert–St. Louis International Airport Program Management Office for their work managing the $1 billion expansion and their use of best practices in pre-project planning, zero accident techniques and quality management.
The expansion and the high-tech Lindbergh Tunnel have been honored in numerous regional and industry awards, including:
- Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) “Project Achievement Award” in the Infrastructure-Program Management category.
- Midwest Construction magazine “Transportation Project of the Year” in its “Best of 2006" awards.
- St. Louis Construction News & Review’s “Regional Excellence Award”
- Associated General Contractors of America “ACEC National Recognition Award.” and the 2005 “Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award.”
- St. Louis Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers “2005 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award.”
- Missouri American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) “Grand Conceptor” award in the 2005 Missouri Engineering Excellence Competition.
- St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers “Construction Industry Best Practices Award” in the Program Category.
Kwame Building Group is a pure program and construction management firm providing estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as an independent advocate for owners and developers. Public and private sector projects include educational facilities, major airports nationwide, light-rail systems, hospitals and government facilities. For more information, visit www.kwamebuildinggroup.com or call 314.862.5344.
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