The Lincoln Children’s Zoo is in the middle of the largest expansion in its history. The $16 million, 10-acre expansion will create more interaction, more contact and more family memories than ever before.

In 2019, the Zoo will open with four new amazing areas – a world-class giraffe feeding experience, an up-close tiger encounter, an indoor adventure where children will climb with monkeys and a plaza with a splash stream.

The project includes product supplied from U-MIX Products Company, Apollo Steel, Reimers Kaufman, and Ready Mixed Concrete Company. Ready Mixed Concrete has supplied 4,600 cubic yards of concrete to the job while Reimers Kaufman has supplied 35,000 masonry units, along with PROMIX mortar from U-Mix. Apollo Steel has supplied 106 ton of steel for the project.

Constructors continues to work on the I-80/I-680 interchange in Omaha.

The projects includes 3.75 miles of resurfacing on the westbound I-80 collector distributor road, ramps and shoulders from the I-80/I-680 interchange through Q Street. The project also includes bridge repairs on the collector road bridge at the interchange and over the railroad. Improvements consist of milling and resurfacing the existing roadway andsurface shoulders with asphalt.

A 32-inch concrete barrier will be constructed between the collector road and westbound I-80 from north of I Street to south of Q street. Bridge work includes deck and approach-slab repairs, waterproof membrane, asphalt overlay, replacement of expansion joints, and repairing concrete barrier curbs. Constructors will also be adding 47 new area inlets as well as a new storm sewer that was self performed. The project is scheduled to be completed in late summer. Trafcon will be doing the striping on the project.

Constructors is working on a downtown renovation project and seven blocks of reconstruction along NE-15 in David City, NE. This is the town’s biggest capital project in decades, costing roughly $9 million in renovations. The entire project encompasses new paving, storm sewer, water mains, and street lighting in the downtown district. An interesting aspect of this project is salvaged brick pavers that are being used in the downtown district. Completion date is expected by December 1, 2018.

The Nebraska Trucking Association announced the winners of the 2018 Nebraska Truck Driving Championship, held June 8-9 in Grand Island, Nebraska. Our very own, Dan Z. (Beatrice Ready Mixed) won 1st Place in the Mixer Truck competition. In addition to Dan taking 1st place, Scott N. (Kearney Crete & Block) took 3rd place in the Truck and Pup division. Roy “Eddie” F. (Beatrice Ready Mixed-Hwy 2 Palmyra), Bobby L. (Kearney Ready Mixed), and Jack H. (Kearney Ready Mixed) also competed in the Mixer Truck Competition.

This annual event offers Nebraska’s best professional truck drivers a chance to demonstrate knowledge, talent and skills in a competition highlighting what it takes to be a safe driver on today’s streets and highways. Over 100 drivers participated in this year’s championships in eleven classes. Additional awards were presented based upon scores in written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection and driving test. Team awards are also given to the company with three or more drivers competing with the highest overall score.

Nebraska Trucking and the Championships have a long tradition of a positive working relationship with the Nebraska State Patrol Carrier Enforcement troopers. Dan now qualifies for Nationals that will be held in Gaylord National Harbor, MD. September 29 – October 1, 2018.

Steel supplied by Apollo Steel Company has been erected at a mixed-use development on 48th & Leighton in Lincoln. This is the first of two buildings that will be constructed on the property with retail/commercial space on the ground level and apartments above. Masonry block for the project was supplied by Reimers Kaufman.

Overland Ready Mixed completed a 2,300 yard pour on June 5 in Aurora, NE. The main pour was set to be completed in one day with the only remaining parts of the project being sidewalks and driveways. The large pour was supplied from both the Aurora and Central City plants to accommodate the one day pour. The contractor for the project was Diamond Engineering.

Constructors continued work on a bridge project located on a portion of Nebraska Highway 79 between Agnew and Valparaiso. The $2.35 million project consists of two bridges with work being completed by Constructors, and paving work being sub contracted.

One bridge is a 3-Span Prestressed concrete Girder Bridge (IT400) and the other bridge is a Simple Span Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridge (NU900). Girders are being supplied by Concrete Industries, Concrete from Ready Mixed Concrete Company, Granular Backfill is from Western Sand & Gravel and Rip Rap for the project is from Kerford Limestone. Construction for the project started in November and both bridges are scheduled to be completed in July.

A Construction Career Day was held at Southeast Community College on May 5th. The event was hosted by the Home Builders Association of Lincoln in cooperation with BuildOurNebraska.com. The event featured hands-on activities, construction demonstrations and construction career booths. The event targeted middle and high school students along with their parents. The event was designed to help students explore the possibilities of construction related jobs and to promote construction related career paths.

There were 22 companies and organizations represented at the event, including NEBCO, Constructors, and Ready Mixed Concrete whom had a truck at the event with  a hands-on display for working with concrete.  Event participants were able to explore the truck and learn about the life of Ready Mixed drivers.

The construction of a new $25 million Waste Water Treatment Plant for the city of York, Nebraska located on 35 acre plot outside the city a few miles to the east began in March 22, 2017 and so far is on schedule for completion in the spring of 2019.

When this project for the city is completely finished they will have an aeration building that will be 156′ x 108’ in size and 17’ deep, enough to hold 2.1 million gallons. Along with the Aeration basin there will be the headworks building, a secondary treatment building, secondary clarifiers, a disinfection contact basin, a biosoilds holding tank and an operations building. Also, there are 2.6 acres of land on the western portion of the property that will have five reed bed areas that will be specially established to catch any possible leaching (from sludge) so the material can be taken back to the disinfection basin. The reeds will consume the sludge in a natural, biological way.

Approximately 7,000 cubic yards of concrete will be used for the building structures. With 75% of the Concrete in place, Overland Ready Mix in York has provided Hawkin’s Construction, who is doing all the work on this project, with 7,100 cubic yards of concrete and approximately 1,667 tons of fill sand.

This new Treatment Plant should give the City of York a minimum of 50 years and can easily be expanded to 100 years with upgrades.

Western Sand & Gravel (WS&G) mines sand and gravel to make concrete or a variety of spec materials such as plaster sand or masonry sand for construction. The main goal is to produce aggregate for NEBCO’s Ready Mixed operations as well as supply sand and gravel to Southeast Nebraska and the Lincoln area. Throughout the years, the mining process has created an ideal habitat for birds, most notably, the Least Tern and the Piping Plover that are listed on the federally endangered and threatened species lists.

“There is an abundance of fine sands,” said Dave B., General Manager of Western Sand & Gravel. “We end up wasting it back on the property near the lake and it really mimics the Platte River to the birds.”

With minimal extra care by Western Sand & Gravel employees, a variety of bird species benefit from the activities of mining at sand and gravel pits.

In addition to years of partnering with and supporting the Tern & Plover Conservation Partnership at the University of Nebraska, Western Sand & Gravel recently began working with the Wildlife Division of the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. In January, the National Audubon Society put on the nation’s annual largest-running citizen science birding project known as the Christmas Bird count. For the first time, the organization conducted a bird count along the Lower Platte River, including WS&G’s Sand Creek, Sandy Pointe and Louisville sites.

The three WS&G sites within the Lower Platte River Christmas Bird Count ended up being some of the few areas with open water. Sandy Pointe and Louisville both had patches of open water with a good number of geese and ducks. Sand Creek did not have any open water but included thousands of Mallards and Canada Geese on the ice. In total, 36 species were observed in the area.