Swingen Construction Inc., a century old company, is well into an approximate $10-million truck by-pass project around Jamestown, ND, as general contractors. The project includes the construction of three bridges.
The bypass, which will reroute heavy truck traffic out of downtown Jamestown and off of its recently reconstructed streets, creates a new roadway from Interstate 94, just west of Jamestown, to Highway 281, just north of Jamestown.
Swingen Construction, of Grand Forks, ND, now into its fourth generation of bridge building, was awarded two contracts on the project. The first includes a 221-ft. (67 m) bridge over the Red River Valley and the Western Railroad line. The second calls for a 375-ft. (114 m) bridge over Pipestem Creek, said Bob Peterson, project superintendent of Swingen Construction. The second contract also includes a 650-ft. (198 m) bridge across the main line of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.
Each contract totals about $3.5 million, according to Steve Thompson, project manager of Interstate Engineering Inc., of Jamestown, ND.
It was in 1911 at the age of 21, when T.M. “Tom” Swingen came to Cooperstown, ND, from Iowa, and started building bridges, the first in Griggs County. Bridges were needed and Swingen had the will to try, according to information from Swingen Construction. “He started building small bridges for the farmers in the area,” noted Dan Swingen, a fourth generation Swingen.
A second generation Swingen, Lonnie, was instrumental in relocating the business to Grand Forks and was elected president of Swingen Construction Company in 1957. Third generation Walter Swingen was elected president of Swingen Construction Company in 1965, and fourth generation Dan Swingen, son of Walter, was elected president of the company in 1991. Jim Swingen, a nephew, is a superintendent of the company.
To this date, the vast majority of Swingen Construction’s work still focuses on bridge work, but also includes other heavy construction, such as foundation work, Dan Swingen said. Projects take the company, which employs about 150 during its peak season, throughout the Dakotas and Minnesota. “We call ourselves a bunch of traveling gypsies,” Dan Swingen joked.
Work on the Jamestown bypass project began in 2002 and, so far, more than 90 percent of the dirt work on the project that includes the two smaller bridges, has been completed. Approximately 50 percent of the dirt work has been completed on the other project, which includes the longest bridge, “which is more than we had anticipated for this year,” Thompson explained.
Guthmiller Earthmoving, of Medina, ND, is handling the dirt work. “All that is left is to build a grade from the Burlington Northern Railroad to Interstate 94 and place the surface gravel, for the two-lane roadway,” Peterson explained. Border States will place the blacktop in the summer so the roadway can be opened in the fall.
However, only one layer of bituminous will be placed this summer, to allow for settling before the final grade, Peterson added.
Then, in 2004 the remaining 2-in. (5 cm) layer of bituminous will be placed and lighting and fencing will be installed, Thompson said. This portion of the project is not yet designed, but a fall 2004 completion is anticipated.
On the bridges, I-beams have been set on the 221-ft. (67 m) bridge and the 375-ft. (114 m) bridge, Peterson said, and decking operations are continuing in the spring.
To speed up the I-beam placement, Swingen incorporated a new technique — using aluminum gang forms to form the concrete. The gang form is a one-piece, tip-up cap-forming system that is used to put the pieces right in place once the concrete has set, Peterson explained. “The cap forms are Swingen’s design; they created a better mouse trap.”
On the 650-ft. (198 m) bridge, Peterson said the last footing was poured during the second week of January and pier construction will continue throughout the winter. “It is all housed and heated so we can pour concrete,” he added. Jamestown Redi Mix is supplying the concrete, of which 950 yds. (868 m) is needed for just the deck of the 650-ft. (198 m) bridge, which has a 40-ft. (12.2 m) wide roadway.
I-beams were delivered last fall from North Dakota Concrete Products of Menoken, ND. The 120- and the 150-ft. (36 and 46 m) concrete I-beams are just about a city block long, making an interesting sight as they were transported through Jamestown to the construction site, just north of town.
Swingen commented that bridge support beams have gotten longer and heavier over the years. Peterson added that Swingen Construction had been considering buying some new cranes and finally purchased a 90-ton (82 m) American crane and a 110-ton (100 t) Link-Belt crane this year, which are being used to set the beams on the Jamestown project.
The 120-ft. (36 m) concrete beams are 81 in. (206 cm) tall and weigh more than 60 tons (54 t) each, while the 150-ft. (46 m) beams also are 81 in. (206 cm) high but weigh more than 70 tons (63 t) each, Peterson said. The 650-ft. (198 m) bridge will have a total of 30 beams when complete.
