Pittsburgh-based ground improvement specialists Menard Group USA recently wrapped up work with sister company Nicholson Construction on New York City’s Harlem River Drive project.

The overall project, which started in 2016, was designed to improve the traffic flow coming off of Harlem River Drive. This includes a dedicated left lane exit for Second Avenue and barriers between the sidewalk and road to protect pedestrians from high speed traffic flow.

Menard was awarded the ground improvement contract to support the bridge approaches for the busy, four-lane highway. Working with sister company Nicholson Construction on the design (along with GEI Consultants), Menard installed close to 700 Controlled Modulus Column (CMC) rigid inclusions to prepare the soil for the approaches.

“This was our first time working on a public New York City project, which is significant for us,” said Mike Shedlosky, Project Manager, Menard Group USA. “Even though we encountered many challenges, in the end we produced a quality product, and everyone was happy with the results.”

Menard’s most notable, recent work in New York has been at La Guardia International Airport.