Rodriguez Mechanical employees Travis Kelly, Foreman Dick Furgeson and Craig Henderson distribute concrete over a repaired water line while Geiger Ready-Mix driver John Marshall discharges the concrete during the first phase in a water line and storm sewer replacement project June 22 on Doniphan Drive. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
The Directorate of Public Works is working on a series of renovations and construction projects to update facilities and systems around the installation. Below is a brief explanation of recent and upcoming projects to understand changes and potential disruptions to regular operations.
The levee at Sherman Army Airfield is currently being renovated in an estimated $19 million project, rebuilding the terrain to mitigate flood damage from the Missouri River.
“It’s raising the elevation of the existing levee by 14 feet,” DPW Operations and Maintenance Manager Jerry Clark said.
The airfield experienced a historic flood in 1993 and has since flooded five times.
DPW will also renovate the hanger at the airfield, likely within the next year, to include fresh paint on the hanger, new roofing, an updated VIP lounge for pilots, an improved meeting room for the Fort Leavenworth Flight Club, and a bathroom with an emergency washing station. Some walls in the hanger have been covered in easy-to-clean vinyl PVC walls and flooring. He said the DPW engineer division will also renovate the taxiway and complete general airfield repair for aesthetics and safety.
Contractors are a year into a two-year, $30 million renovation at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks and the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility. Clark said the project centers on revitalizing infrastructures such as roofing and HVAC systems and living areas such as the showers in each facility. He said the renovation is one of the largest construction projects on the installation as neither building has been updated in around 20 years.
In May, the Logistics Readiness Center consolidated its vehicle maintenance group into a motor pool previously held by deployable units in the 15th Military Police Brigade. The LRC is responsible for vehicle maintenance, transportation coordination and managing the central-issue facility. Clark said the move improves the efficiency of the LRC by centralizing its operations, and, eventually, other LRC divisions will move closer to the motor pool. As a result, Clark explained, the buildings vacated by the LRC will provide spaces for the Directorate of Emergency Services and DPW to relocate some of the storage and work space needed for their respective operations.
Clark said Hunt Lodge, the Military Working Dog Kennels, the Rod and Gun Club Clubhouse and Brunner Range currently operate using propane, which is sometimes limited. Clark said that by the time heat is needed, DPW plans to complete a gas line that runs across the western ridge of the installation to create an affordable, guaranteed natural gas supply connected to each location.
He said the renovation began in spring to replace the Hunt Lodge roof and build Americans-with-Disabilities-Act-compliant bathrooms. He said DPW and its contractors will continue renovations to include a centralized HVAC system and replace the building’s flooring, siding and window units. He said Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation is currently using the building, but Hunt Lodge will be closed temporarily during construction.
Within the year, DPW will update the 67th Military Police Detachment (Military Working Dog), Special Troops Battalion, Kennel HVAC control system to meet current technology. Clark said the new system will allow for remote monitoring of kennel conditions.
Within the next month, Kinder Range will undergo an erosion control project. Clark said the range will be open during the project, which will likely continue into the fall.
Clark said DPW began working on a large-scale HVAC renovation in the Lewis and Clark Center and Eisenhower Hall last fall. He said project is coordinated around classroom sessions and workplace activities but aims to create minimal disruption.
Clark said contractors have replaced the three guard booths at Hancock Gate and plan to replace the guard booths at Grant Gate beginning July 11. Clark said the current booths were installed in the early 2000s. The new booths are fortified, he said, with improved heating/cooling systems and electrical support. According to DES, Hancock Gate will not be open during the Grant Gate booth replacement. During construction, lanes at Grant Gate will be closed in succession, changing inbound traffic patterns. One lane of outbound traffic will be closed when lane six (closest to the exit) is replaced, likely during a weekend.
Clark said the intersection of Gibbon and Wint avenues is frequently affected by flooding, and DPW is currently replacing a 120-year-old storm sewer located about 12 feet under Gibbon Avenue. Construction will replace the sewer line, rebuild storm drains and repave the road. He said the roadwork will be completed in sections so as not to disrupt the flow of traffic in the neighborhood. The current work on the intersection will temporarily block the area, but Wint Avenue residents will still be able to access the alley behind their quarters.
He said there is also construction around Doniphan Drive between the old trolley station and the lakes to replace the freshwater line in sections similar to the Gibbon Avenue construction. He said multiple water main breaks indicated failure on the line. Clark said that like Gibbon Avenue, the phased construction should have minimal disruption on traffic.