OSI Tackles Complex Billboard Project In Englewood, New Jersey
Completion Date: 2 February 2020
Location: RT 4 Englewood NJ CSX Railroad Site
Coordinates: 40.8804598,-73.9842483
Major Partners: Bergmann, CSX, Illini drilling, ECD, Hardin Construction, Ultra Lum, Pacific Outdoor and Lamar Advertising
In August 2019 OSI was given a very challenging 2 structure (4 faces) 14×48 bulletin project to complete on a CSX railroad property with a very narrow 33’ wide parcel of property that the railroad owned. Keep in mind there were required setbacks with the railroad where we couldn’t work within so many feet of the tracks and keep the pole at least 20’ from the tracks when done keeping a CSX flagman there at all times. To make this project more challenging there was roadwork and tree / brush to consider and a berm that needed to be removed then put back as well as a buried underground fiber-optics cables that Century Link owned but could not be specific to exactly where the cables were.
Several meetings with the fiber optics people and mandates to physically locate the lines before the excavation occurred were necessary since these lines if damaged would take down businesses and residential within a 50 mile radius and certainly be on the news immediately if damaged. High Tension Overhead wires had to also be considered. We were able to work with a neighboring property owner to set up one of our large cranes for one site. To make it even more challenging the local government had restrictions on work hours with no weekends. OSI partnered with Bergmann and CSX, Illini drilling, ECD, Hardin Construction, Ultra Lum, Pacific Outdoor and Lamar Advertising to perform the tasks requested with a deadline that existed that would save a Lamar Advertising potential hospital client that would rent the all the inventory that would exist for at least 12 months.
The site work and soil tests along with procuring our engineering in an expedited fashion as well as major site development with CSX Railroad and their very precise requirements were dictated to us. During the process OSI had to drill (2) 8’ diameter foundations 30’ deep while adhering to very stringent local and state rules, in very tight quarters, not to mention locating the underground fiber-optics before and during drilling. The soils had to be tested and removed from the sites which created logistical nightmares while working. These billboards were designed as full cantilevers to keep the boards on the Railroad property. Remember we had to make room for large cranes, a Soilmec Drill machine, Pump truck, concrete trucks while building these massive 75’ tall structures and launching them in the air with 2 digitals on one of the 2 structures. Electrical completion with temporary generator set up was also provided.
Very challenging local environmental issues were also a big challenge to get past during the construction phase. OSI and our installation partners were able to complete the project on 2/10/20 and save our very valuable customer’s client which resulted in a high dollar sale to a local hospital.
