W.B. Hopke Awarded Arlington Regional Transit Operation and Maintenance Facility

Between July 2018 and September 2020, the Arlington County Board approved the land purchase of three parcels on Shirlington Road, and the concept planning, design and construction for the Arlington Regional Transit Operation and Maintenance Facility. Arlington Regional Transit (ART) is Arlington County’s local transit system that supplements Metrobus service with cross-county routes as well as neighborhood connections to Metrorail and Virginia Railway Express.

The Arlington Regional Transit Operation and Maintenance Facility had been operating from two separate locations in Arlington, VA which caused logistical issues. Bringing the two locations together into one large location will save time and money. Further, the project addresses the need for more parking, operations, and maintenance support to handle the increase in the number of bus routes and the need for more buses. Many of the transit customers are government employees and officials that depend on ART for their travel and that demand is continually increasing.

W.B. Hopke Company was hired in 2022 by the general contractor, Turner Construction Company, for work on the new Arlington Regional Transit Operation and Maintenance Facility project. Hopke’s scope includes installation of a 10′ x 6′ box culvert, 12″ and 6″ DIP water mains, 8″ PVC sanitary mains ranging from 12′ to 20′ deep, a large 60″ storm detention system, two large StormFilter® treatment devices, a bioretention pond, and storm piping ranging from 6″ to 27″ diameter.

The Hopke team will be installing and replacing two existing 48″ storm pipes with two 10’x6′ box culverts. The existing stream will need a temporary pump around while the box culverts are being installed and traffic will need to be maintained to adjacent facilities throughout. There is an existing sanitary main that cuts through the job site that will need to be replaced before the proposed building can be built. There is an existing 42″ sanitary main running along the edge of the site, parallel with I-395, that requires an 84″ doghouse manhole connection at 24′ deep to facilitate sanitary outfall

It takes an experienced team to complete a project like this. It begins with the relationship W.B. Hopke has with the repeat client and trust that the work will be done to the required specifications. It also requires a skilled estimator who understands the complexities of the entire project and has an understanding of the site location.

Lead estimator, Charlie McClellan, has been with Hopke for more than 18 years. Charlie spent more than two weeks preparing the final bid and was able to secure the award for the project. He offers a unique insight into one of the complexities with the work at hand, and what will be in store for his team as they embark on the new project.

“One of the challenges with this project is the excavation and installation of a box culvert that will be placed beneath a busy road where vehicles drive by regularly. With two-way traffic using the road during work hours, we must do it without shutting down the entire road and blocking traffic. This is easier said than done. The box culvert must be installed in two stages on the main road leading into the project site. We need to do the installation on one side of the road first and install the box culvert while the other side remains open to the public and traffic. Then when the first side is complete, we have to close it up and finish the other side in the same manner. We also have to lower an existing water main to facilitate the space for the new box culvert. This takes coordination, scheduling, and planning.”

W.B. Hopke has a proven track record and years of experience completing some amazing projects for their clients. The Arlington Regional Transit Operation and Maintenance Facility project is just another example of the type of projects W.B. Hopke can deliver. More updates for this project will be provided as the work continues.

On a side note, none of this would be possible without the leadership and the employees that give it their all each day. We would like to extend a special thanks to Charlie McClellan for his efforts with the award. Charlie began his career with the City of Falls Church, where he worked in sanitary and water and was responsible for inspections. He came to W.B. Hopke and started as a superintendent working on projects in the field. He was asked by Mike Hopke to come into the main office and handle estimating. He’s been doing a great job ever since.

“Mike Hopke brought me in from the field to the main office to do estimating and has taught me everything that I know. And he is still behind me to this day. This has been a great company to work for and W.B. Hopke has its employees’ best interest in mind.” – Charlie McClennan

Contact W.B. Hopke about a career in utility installation and site work at 703-971-0404 or info@wbhopke.com

References

Arlington County, Virginia, https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Projects/Project-Types/County-Facilities/ART-Operations-Maintenance-Facility (accessed July 31, 2022)

Stantec, Arlington, VA, https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/Projects/Documents/20210615-AOMF-Community-Mtg-3.pdf