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Building Through the Swamp
Some jobs are straightforward. This isn’t one of them.
In the river bottoms of western Arkansas, ESS crews are tackling a project that has brought challenge after challenge. On the ARDOT I-49 Extension (Hwy 22 to Gun Club Road) project, our crews are building a massive bridge and roadway connection that will eventually play a role in the larger vision of connecting I-49 from Fort Smith to Texarkana.
One of the biggest challenges on the project isn’t what people can see — it’s what’s underneath.
The project is located in a river bottom environment where decades of flooding have left behind saturated, unstable soils filled with organic material that simply won’t compact. In some areas, crews have stabilized the ground with rock fill. In others, they’ve removed unsuitable material and rebuilt with imported compacted embankment material. Every section presents a new challenge.
“It’s a giant puzzle,” said Project Manager, Jessie Steele. “That not only requires a lot of material, but also a lot of coordination.”
That puzzle starts beneath the surface, where ARDOT’s Materials Division is engineering the methods needed to stabilize the challenging soil conditions. ESS crews are then working to implement those solutions — transforming unstable, swamp-like ground into a solid foundation capable of supporting the roadway and one of the largest bridge projects ESS has ever been a part of.
The work requires significant coordination and material movement. Approximately 50 trucks are making round trips from Preston Quarry each day, hauling compacted embankment material to the site. To date, crews have imported 397,291 tons — or 240,782 cubic yards — of material, with approximately 250,000 additional tons still needed to complete the work.
On the structures side, crews have tackled massive concrete pours, implemented new cooling systems for mass concrete placements, and utilized advanced 3D lift-planning technology to simulate critical crane picks before they happen in the field.
But the real story isn’t the equipment or technology. It’s the people.
Throughout the project, dirt and structures crews have worked side-by-side, solving problems, sharing resources, and finding ways to keep work moving despite difficult conditions, tight spaces, and Arkansas heat.
“We’re one team out here,” said Structures Area Superintendent, Seth Cramer. “We’d really like to recognize our entire crew out here for stepping up, working together and getting it done.”
The project has also become a proving ground for the next generation of ESS leaders. Employee-owners have stepped into larger roles, taken on new responsibilities, and continued building the leadership skills that keep projects like this moving forward. Keith Price, Logan Brice, and Wesley Richards are examples of that growth in action. These new leaders’ growth reflects the ownership mindset at ESS — creating opportunities for employee-owners to step up, take charge, and help build the future of our teams.
Both managers agreed that: “Good crews build projects. Great crews build leaders, and that’s exactly what we have out here!”
From unstable ground to massive bridge construction, this team continues to do what ESS does best — find solutions, move dirt, and build what others say can’t be done.
