The Walsh Group Celebrates Women in Construction Week
The Walsh Group proudly celebrated Women in Construction Week from March 4-8. Walsh Construction and Archer Western offices and jobsites celebrated women in the workforce and their contributions to the construction industry. The focus of the week was to raise awareness of opportunities available to women in construction and emphasize the important influence and contributions of women across all levels. Jobsites and offices displayed Women in Construction Week banners to showcase the week’s central message: “Keys to the Future: Building Empowerment, Building Equality, Building Passion.”
Archer Western delivering Phase 2 of Arcadia Lake Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project
Edmond, Oklahoma - Archer Western is delivering Phase 2 of the Arcadia Lake Water Treatment Plant expansion, increasing the plant’s treatment capacity from 12 MGD to 30 MGD. Across the massive site, Archer Western is constructing the plant’s new treatment units for clarification, filtration, and disinfection to ensure treated water meets all safety and quality standards. Responsibilities include a new high service pump station, finished water storage, granular activated carbon filters, and new backwash basin/pump station. The $191 million expansion project is on track for completion in early 2026.
Walsh Construction to raise McKinley Street with cable arch bridge
Corona, California - Walsh Construction is working to raise Corona's McKinley Street via a new 300-foot cable arch bridge. The grade separation project will ultimately carry McKinley Street over Sampson Avenue, the BNSF Railroad and a county flood channel to improve traffic flow within the city and the nearby SR 91 interchange. The bridge structure will incorporate 1.8 million pounds of steel and is being erected in an adjacent yard, where it will be moved and placed utilizing a combination of self-propelled modular transporters, hydraulic jacks, lashings and a rolling jack system.
Walsh Construction is using Conex boxes as falsework to accommodate the height needed for the future SPMT jacks. The Conex boxes provided a wide, flat surface for the fabricated upper falsework to secure to, and they double as additional yard storage.
Also, due to shipping restrictions, many steel members were unable to ship work-wise up. The team created a rolling cradle to act as a basket, and a set of air folds, which work in tandem to roll the basket and reposition the members work-wise up.
Archer Western halfway through expansion of Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant
Pasco County, Florida - Archer Western is approximately halfway through the expansion of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant. As crews finish installing underground utilities, the team is preparing for mechanical equipment installation. The chlorine contact chambers are nearing completion, staging has commenced for the dewatering building construction, and leak testing is underway on the basins. Ultimately, the project's various improvements and upgrades will increase Southeast WWTP's capacity from 3MGD to 6MGD.
Demolition begins on Ryan Field
Evanston, Illinois - Demolition has officially begun at Ryan Field, paving the way for Northwestern University's new dynamic stadium. Northwestern University has launched an updated Rebuild Ryan Field website, which will feature new information about project milestones and efforts to minimize disruptions to the surrounding neighborhood. Walsh Construction is joining Turner Construction Company to safely deliver a world-class athletics facility, while continuing a trusted partnership with Northwestern University and the neighboring communities.
Look inside OSU Wexner Medical Center's $1.9 Billion Inpatient Hospital
Columbus, Ohio - Look inside The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's new inpatient hospital tower being built by Walsh Construction and Turner Construction Company. It is "a feat of engineering" according to Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer and senior associate vice president for health sciences. The $1.9-billion hospital, the largest capital project in Ohio State University history, is 75% through its construction phase. It is expected to open in the spring of 2026.
Final touches on the exterior of the building are taking place along with framing for the exterior ceiling on the brick scroll at the main entrance. Terrazzo floors are being installed on the ground, second and fourth floors. Overall, Terrazzo flooring is about 40% complete. One patient room on the tenth floor is the furthest along with construction and is used as a model for the others as health care professionals weigh in on what’s needed in the room.
Archer Western breaks ground at Malmstrom Air Force Base
Great Falls, Montana - Archer Western joined representatives from the US Air Force, US Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Montana for a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction on a new Weapons Generation Facility (WGF) at Malmstrom Air Force Base. This facility is part of a $1 billion WGF program designed to streamline support functions for Air Force Global Strike assets and will replace facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s.
Archer Western is first general contractor in Virginia to receive OSHA VPP STAR Award
Roanoke, Virginia – Congratulations to the Archer Western I-81 Widening team, they are Virginia's first worksite in nearly 30 years, and first ever general contractor, to receive the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program STAR Award.
The Voluntary Protection Program recognizes employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. The Star program within VPP is designed for sites whose safety and health management systems operate in a highly effective, self-sufficient manner and meet all VPP requirements.
The Walsh Group recognizes top safety groups among Operations Divisions
The Walsh Group Executive Safety Committee recognized regional groups this past month as winners of the company's internal 2023 Matthew Myles Walsh II Safety Awards. Celebrated across our Building, Transportation and Water Divisions, the Matthew Myles Walsh II Awards recognize top safety performance and best practices. The awards recognize achievement across various project-size levels and also culminate with a Group Award for the region/group that has exhibited an exceptional commitment to safety. The 2023 Group Award winners include:
- Healthcare Group (Building Division)
- California Water Group (Water Division)
- Mid-Atlantic Transportation (Transportation Division)
AGC of California names Alfredo Vargas Safety Professional of the Year
Recently retired Safety Manager Alfredo Vargas has been awarded the Harry Eckstein Safety Professional of the Year Award from the AGC of California. This award exemplifies the most dedicated and innovative professionals and their active participation in the advancement of the safety management process both within their company and in the construction industry. Alfredo retired after 50+ years in construction and ten years with The Walsh Group, managing treatment plant projects in California and Arizona.
Installing 200-foot-long girders for Carolina Crossroads
Columbia, South Carolina - Archer Western and United Infrastructure Group recently installed a pair of 8-foot-tall, 200-foot-long steel plate girders over I-126 in Columbia. Weighing approximately 300,000 pounds, this pair of girders are part of a future ramp from I-26 to Colonial Life Boulevard. The operation is a part of SCDOT’s continued progress on the Carolina Crossroads Project, where Archer-United is responsible for Phases 1 and 2.