R. J. Watson to provide the first armored preformed silicone expansion joints for Florida DOT
R. J. Watson was recently approved by the Florida Dept. of Transportation to fabricate armored Silicoflex bridge expansion joints for new construction, as an alternative to strip seals. The I-75/Overpass Road interchange near Wesley Chapel, Florida in Pasco County is a design build project that was awarded in June, 2020 to the Middlesex Corporation/American Consulting Engineers team for $64 Million.
They will be widening Overpass Road near the intersection with I-75, tearing down the existing overpass, and building a new diamond interchange at I-75, including a new flyover ramp. R. J. Watson will be fabricating 100 LF of the armored Silicoflex SF325 expansion joints which is designed to accommodate 3 ¼” of total movement.
The project began in October of 2020, and will be completed in the Summer of 2023. The new interchange will substantially reduce traffic at the interchange, and provide quicker access to the local population for first responders.