Design Build Santa Rosa Island Range Road

Contract Name:   Design Build Santa Rosa Island Range Road
Location:   Eglin AFB, FL

The site access road is the only route for automobile traffic on the Island so 2-directional traffic had to be maintained at all times. Furthermore, aside from significant wetland systems within the project area, (both isolated freshwater wetlands and tidally influenced estuarine wetlands) numerous Federally listed, State listed and Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI)-tracked floral and faunal species occur on or utilize the island. There were also several cultural resource areas within the project limits that could not be disturbed. All of these issues required the team to develop a comprehensive plan to construct the project without causing detriment to the environmental characteristics of the island while maintaining access to the fully operational test facility. CWR DB Team saved the owner over 1.5 million in Cost Saving Initiatives.

The ACOE and Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) proposed to rebuild and reinforce the Santa Rosa Island Range Complex Road, including facility access roads, totaling 15.6 miles on Santa Rosa Island (SRI), Eglin AFB. The purpose of this 42.2 million dollar project was to provide a facility that would maintain uninterrupted access to 13-Test Areas (TAs) located on Santa Rosa Island, which are vital to the United States’ national defense network. The design incorporated an armoring system, consisting of sheet piles walls, on one or both sides of the main road along 4.6 miles to prevent road destruction and displacement resulting from tropical storm-generated storm surge. The remaining 8.5 miles of the main road, in discontinuous sections, incorporated a typical roadway design without sheet piles as these portions of the road are protected from erosion damage by the natural dune system. In its previous condition, the road presented a significant safety hazard and impediment to military operations.