Oakwood Cemetery is the oldest cemetery owned by the municipality of Austin, Texas. The location was remote when the cemetery officially opened in the 1850s. The cemetery is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The chapel was built in 1914 and then remodeled and renovated in 1944. In November 2016, a rehabilitation project on the chapel was halted when unmarked graves were unearthed near the building. After several months of discussions, the city decided to exhume the remains for reburial elsewhere, and the archaeological team completed the excavations in 2018. Needless to say, the incident made Oakwood Cemetery a high-profile site, but when Alpha Paving was contacted about performing work at the cemetery, we knew that our crews could easily handle the additional pressure.
Oakwood Cemetery | Asphalt Overlay | Austin, Texas
How Did Alpha Paving Learn About the Oakwood Cemetery Project?
In November 2018, we were contracted by a general contractor. Helen Bergold with Paradigm Contracting, asked us to meet her at the cemetery to offer a bid. Since the work on the chapel had been completed, the city wanted to proceed with the next phase of the plan for the cemetery, which was to install an asphalt overlay on the main driveway. We offered our assurances that we would exercise extreme caution, and we explained that any repairs would be no more than a few inches deep. We also promised that we would not hit the new gates with our large trucks.
What Did Alpha Paving Do at Oakwood Cemetery?
The city does not move quickly, but by the end of March 2019, we received approval to proceed. In addition to our price, the fact that we could complete the work in one long day was appealing. Apparently, burial ceremonies are common, so schedules are tight. Our primary concern about the project was the poor condition of the curbs that were installed more than a century ago; we would have to work right next to them. The only other issue that gave us pause was the drainage bridge that would need to accommodate dump trucks weighing about 76,000 pounds when fully loaded.
Knowing it would be a long day, we arrived early. There was water along the curbs from the previous night’s rain, and there was a possibility of rain on the day of the work. Our crews immediately began cleaning the road edges, which were filled with mud that had accumulated over the years, while the city inspector watched closely. We had brought extra crew members and the large milling machine so that we could maintain an active pace throughout the morning. With lots of shovels, road brooms and blowers, we were ready to start paving by 10 o’clock.
The driveway is approximately 28 feet wide and extends from gate to gate between Navasota and Comal, a distance of about 1,220 feet. The job called for an overlay with a depth of 1.5 inches. At any one time, we had four or five large dump trucks lined up as the large paving machine and crew made two 14-foot passes down the road. Two rollers followed to create a smooth, compacted surface. Our quality control person was on hand to assist the city with any questions, and our project manager kept the entire operation running smoothly.
By 4 p.m., we were able to start cleaning up, completing the job two hours early without going over the budget. We were asked if we could seal the pavement later this year, and the contractor also asked us to bid another city job for them. Incidentally, it started to rain heavily around 7 p.m. However, the road was in place, and the site was draining better than ever.
How Can Alpha Paving Help You?
As a full-service asphalt company, Alpha Paving can assist you with a complete range of pavement-related services. We offer asphalt resurfacing and paving, sealcoating, parking lot striping, and pavement markings, asphalt milling, street maintenance, thermoplastic markings, parking lot signs, road construction, asphalt repairs, concrete installation, speed bump installations, concrete repairs and a variety of other services. Our clients include commercial property management firms, cities, and counties, homeowner associations, shopping centers, health care facilities, religious institutions, apartment complexes, educational facilities, airports, industrial facilities, restaurants, and hotels. We built our excellent reputation through the quality of our work, our dedication to professional customer service, and our reasonable rates. We offer free, no-strings quotes, so call us at 512-677-9001 or submit our online request form.
