SR 331 Expressway (US 20 Bypass to Jefferson Boulevard)

American Structurepoint’s Environmental team was responsible for the design of a ground water control system for the new SR 331. As the road design specified an underpass below the Norfolk and Southern railroad near the St. Joseph River, the final roadway design was found to be several feet below the average water table in the area. American Structurepoint completed the design and installation of a test well at the project site, which included an aquifer performance test and data collection. American Structurepoint determined the necessary means for effectively lowering the water table. A ground water control system was designed, including five pumping wells that operate in tandem to continuously draw down the water table. American Structurepoint’s environmental team not only designed the details of the wells and equipment, but also worked closely with road, bridge, and environmental engineers to precisely locate the components of the system within a complex and rather congested area, and to design the proper discharge piping to handle the flow. In order to meet the requests of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, American Structurepoint’s environmental team completed ground water sampling and analysis to ensure that the pumped water could be safely discharged to the local drainage network.