BE Magazine Volume 5, Issue 2 - (Page 31) CIVIL v The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs looked at various alternate route designs in a short amount of time as well as Navajos returning to their homeland after a four-year internment in Bosque Redondo, Fort Sumner, N.M. Trade became the lifeblood of the tribe, whose lands had been destroyed. Midway between Albuquerque, N.M., and Flagstaff, Ariz., the trading post remained active through the turn of the century and into the 1930s and 1940s, when Navajo weavings first became popular among tourists. In 1986, the Wide Ruins Trading Post was lost in a fire, forcing the community to go as far away as Gallup, N.M., 66 miles to the east, to shop. Visitors to the area can still see the historic ruins and archaeological sites, including a military outpost and ceremonial chambers called kivas, but the reservation’s dirt roads can become unnavigable in harsh weather. million acres of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans. BIA is the largest employer in Wide Ruins, followed by the Navajo Nation Government. Working in cooperation, BIA and the Navajo Nation planned a route that would provide all-weather access to the public school, community center, and tourist sites while protecting the historic ruins. BIA’s technical design staff used Bentley software to evaluate alternative alignments. “MicroStation allowed us to look at various alternate designs in a short amount of time and design changes were much easier to accomplish and visually interpret,” said P&D Branch Chief Harold Riley. “We estimate that we saved at least 500 man-hours with the use of the Bentley software applications, resulting in an overall savings of approximately $37,750 over the life of the planning and design phase of this project.” Using 3D visualization, the five-member team designed special retaining walls to protect many of the major historic areas. The modeling also helped to ensure that drainage from the roadbed would not damage the archaeological sites. Pending archaeological PROJECT Wide Ruins Access Road OVERVIEW v Using 3D visualization, the five-member team designed special retaining walls to protect many of the major historic areas Organization U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Region DOT BE Awards Category Civil Road Infrastructure Project Objective Design $4 million access route into the historic trading post while protecting archaeological sites clearance, the project was scheduled to begin construction in early 2008, with an estimated completion date of May 2009. Although it is too early to predict the overall benefit to the Wide Ruins community and Apache County, BIA anticipates that the protection of valuable archaeological resources will enhance tourism. “We believe that this project will improve the economic conditions for the Navajo Nation and stimulate more economic growth,” Riley said. In 2003, BIA proposed a new $4 million roadway that would improve access for the Wide Ruins community as well as the thousands of visitors who come to this region of the southwest to see the spectacular scenery and learn about Native American history, art, and culture. The improved transportation would stimulate economic growth in Apache County, where 30 percent of the population lives below poverty. Developing and maintaining infrastructure is just one of the many responsibilities of BIA, which administers and manages 55.7 CIVIL NEWS FROM BENTLEY Bentley Announces Strategic Initiative To Help Sustain Bridge Infrastructure Through Bridge Information Modeling >>more Bentley Acquires LEAP Software, Inc., Expanding Portfolio of Software for Analysis and Design of Concrete Bridges >>more Volume 5, Issue 2 | BE MAGAZINE 31
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