A Sneak Peek into Building a Lake -
With Randy Sliger

What does it take to construct one of the newest reservoirs in Texas? Turns out it’s a lot more than just building a dam. Keeping everything on schedule—from roads and bridges to laying pipeline—requires someone who can oversee the process as a whole. At Lake Ralph Hall, that “someone” is Randy Sliger. As construction manager for the project, he is the linchpin connecting each of the program’s contractors. Right now, that requires consistent communication with Flatiron Construction as they work on the roads/bridges, and Granite Construction as they build the Leon Hurse dam.
 
“My first goal every morning is to check in with the contractors to see what they have planned for the day and if there were any issues from the day before.” Sliger explained. “Close communication with the contractors and engineers has provided for a smooth start of the project. “
 
In addition to site visits, Sliger stays connected through the project’s various construction meetings and handles communications with the contractors. Building a project of such magnitude requires innovation and the ability to adapt midstream, so good communication and teamwork is key. One such innovation—a dedicated service road for bridge construction—was successfully implemented and proved to be a benefit for the on-going road work.
 
“It keeps the larger equipment and truck traffic off of Hwy 34, which helps everyone stay safe,” Sliger explained, “And it’s allowed Flatiron to keep equipment moving on rainier, muddier days.” (See story below for more on current status of the bridge and roads.)
 
Sliger will be working closely on the project throughout construction and  looks forward to the day the dam will begin to hold water. He hopes that the lake will leave a legacy for generations to come – providing “water for Upper Trinity, but also a significant boost for the local economy.”

Highway 34 Bridge Passes Halfway Mark

An incredible amount of beam laying and concrete pouring has happened since work began on the Highway 34 bridge. In just nine months since the project broke ground, crews have finished half of the bridge over the future Lake Ralph Hall. To date, 65 workers have placed and poured:

• 100+ columns (to hold up the beams)
• 130+ beams (to lay on top of the columns and hold roadway decking)
• 10+ spans of deck (poured for the road base)

Work on the bridge will continue, along with clearing and construction on nearby roadways and the lake’s other, smaller bridge—Merrill Creek Bridge—which begins in April.

Watermark Awards

This month Upper Trinity Regional Water District (UTRWD) received two Watermark Awards for Communication Excellence from the Texas Section of American Water Works Association on materials related to Lake Ralph Hall. The awards were presented at the Texas Water Conference this month, and UTRWD was recognized for the lake project website and its regular, project-related publications including bimonthly updates, eNewsletters and fact sheets. Make sure to check out the Lake Ralph Hall website for latest project updates.