Myers Says Industry Changes Likely To Mean More Efficient Construction Projects

Caltrans says traffic lanes in the FIX 50 road construction project in Sacramento will be open again overnight Wednesday night.

Each side of the highway project will have been finished six days ahead of schedule, but not before some big changes were made to the design.

The contractor on the project is Myers and Sons Construction.  Co-owner CC Myers says he expects fewer big changes on future state projects because the industry is changing.  He says more projects are following what's called a "design-build" model.  The contractors are involved much earlier in the design process.

"You come in with your best ideas right up front and Caltrans can capitalize on that. I think it's a win-win for the State and the contractors."

Myers says changes had to be made to the FIX 50 project and the Boat Section project on I-5 that would have been unnecessary if the contractor had been involved earlier.

"This is different. And it's better because you're working together as a team. And you're doing it to be done the cheapest it can be done. So, I think overall the State saves a lot of money.  And you get the contractor's ideas."

The original FIX 50 plan called for one side of U.S. 50 to be closed with traffic crossing over to the other side of the freeway.  Myers says if the project had followed that design, it would have taken longer and increased traffic delays.

Myers and Sons is currently working on projects at Interstate 5 in Sacramento, and the Ferguson Slide south of Yosemite, and Los Angeles International Airport.