| OTIA III State Bridge Delivery |
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| Web Brief (Aug 06) |
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Athalye Bridge Engineer Kotha Roa works on an OTIA project.
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Designed to Succeed: Salem Small Business Flourishes Through Bridge Program Work
Long before steel is laid down and concrete is poured, a bridge is constructed in an architect’s imagination and then translated into a computer design for engineers to read and follow.
With growing complexity and technological advances in the construction industry, producing accurate design schematics is increasingly vital. It is critical to solve potential problems and supply issues before work begins. Accurate designs make bridge construction more efficient, and more efficiency up front means less expense over the course of the project.
Producing accurate bridge design schematics and CADD support is what Athalye Consulting Engineering Services Inc. does on ODOT’s OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program.
Based in Salem, Athalye is a small firm specializing in bridge engineering. Its structural engineers perform everything from initial conceptual studies and cost estimates to final drawings.
The company has worked on many bridge projects since 2004, when owner Ashok Athalye first learned about the bridge program. When the company obtained work on the Interstate 5 Sutherlin to Roseburg design-build bundle under contract to CH2M HILL, Athalye made the bold move of opening an office in Salem.
“I was excited by the opportunity to get involved in such a great program and to set up an office and invest in the Salem community,” said Athalye. “We’ve worked on other major programs, but this one was so exciting and different because it has a clear focus on building bridges, which is our passion. We felt the best way to do that was to move here and establish an on-the-ground presence.”
The company has a core team of two full-time employees and hires additional local help as work demands, bringing new jobs and new career opportunities to the region.
The Sutherlin to Roseburg subcontract with CH2M HILL—to design two bridges—was the company’s first bridge program project.
“It was essential to get those bridges done on time, and Athalye did,” said John Dudasch, CH2M HILL project manager of the Sutherlin to Roseburg project. “Once we got the notice to proceed, Ashok mobilized quickly and went right to work.”
Athalye has also completed the designs for 10 bridges in the Clarks Branch to Tunnel Mill Race bundle, another design-build project subcontracted to the firm by CH2M HILL, located between Eugene and Myrtle Creek on I-5. The company is currently working on designs for the Burnt River to Lime Interchange bundle on Interstate 84 near Huntington and bridge designs for the Creek and County to Central Point bundle on I-5 near Medford. The Burnt River to Lime Interchange bundle is a design-build project with HDR, and the Creek and County to Central Point bundle is a design-build project with Parametrix.
“We are a small firm,” Athalye said. “But we are capable of doing a lot of bridge work because our team is focused on bridges. We are proud of our work on the bridge program and delighted to be a part of the Salem community."
The bridge program is fostering economic growth throughout Oregon by developing working relationships with companies of all sizes, including emerging small businesses such as Athalye. In every case, investment from the bridge program is opening doors to new economic opportunities and new career options. To the workers at Athalye, this opportunity leads to sustainable businesses and careers and the chance to do work they are passionate about.
##ODOT##
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