Sterling Construction subsidiary lands $97M Utah airport deal

ConDig (09-Jun-20).  A subsidiary of Texas-based civil contractor Sterling Construction Co has taken off with a $97 million deal for three Utah airport upgrade projects.

Under the deal with the Salt Lake City Corporation’s Department of Airports, Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction, LLC will carry out foundation, dewatering and earth retention work, and civil and airfield work for the South Concourse East at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

The foundation project will include pouring more than 70,000 linear feet of concrete filled steel pipe piles and 98,000 linear feet of driven H-piles. The dewatering and earth retention project features the design and construction of an earth retention system for excavation and tunnel work that will connect the new North and South Concourses. 

The airfield deal includes all of the airfield and civil work for the new South Concourse East. This will include the demolition of existing taxi ways and aprons, removal and reinstallation of about 128,000 feet of utilities, and 200,000 square yards of new concrete pavement. 

The projects will start in September this year and are expected to continue for three years.

“We are extremely excited to continue to work with the SLCDA on its major airport restoration program,” stated Joe Cutillo, Sterling’s CEO. 

“This group of awards is representative of our strategy to pursue alternative delivery aviation contracts and enable us to add value using our specialized engineering and construction capabilities.”

Cutillo added that there was continued strength in end markets, particularly in the aviation sector, despite the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We view this as a sign of the resilience of the U.S. economy, along with the intention of our transportation authorities to address the nation’s significant requirements for infrastructure improvement regardless of temporary economic and social disruptions,” he said. 

In May, Sterling Construction reported a 73% rise in the first quarter of this year as revenue shot up on improved earnings in its heavy civil and specialty services divisions that offset a drop in residential.

In April, a subsidiary of Sterling Construction secured a $80 million contract to upgrade the Bucholz Army airfield runway in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands.