Ames 2005 Flashback: TH 212 Design-Build
Twenty years ago, Ames and its Zumbro River Constructors joint venture partners were set to begin the TH 212 Design-Build project.
The project constructed a 12-mile, four-lane freeway corridor spanning three suburban communities in the Twin Cities west metro. The freeway replaced a mix of two-lane interrupted rural and urban roadways.
The design-build team proposed more than 60 alternative technical concepts, and 23 were accepted, resulting in a project savings of $20 million.
The TH 212 Design-Build project was also a “full circle” moment for Ames. Nearly 40 years earlier, Ames was awarded its first-ever state highway contract to grade a different segment of Highway 212. The 1967 contract was for $256,783; the 2005 contract was for $238 million—showing just how far Ames had come.
