THE 11TH STREET

BRIDGE COMMUNITY
CONNECTION

FALL 2014

55 M St. SE Washington DC 20003

202.671.5124
www.ddot.dc.gov/11thStreetBridge

Photo by Cheriss May

OSHA training class at the 11st Bridge construction site on November 18, 2014.

Training Small Business Leaders

on Occupational Health and Workplace Safety

The 11th Street Bridge Project team, in partnership with The District Department of Transportation (DDOT's) Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise Supportive Services Program and the
American Road and Transportation Builders
Association (ARTBA) hosted an OSHA 10-Hour
Safety Training for Construction Trades
Workshop. The three-day workshop (November
18 November 20, 2014) was open to all
certified DDOT/WMATA DBE firms and other
construction-related small businesses and CBEs.
Since its inception, the 11th Street Bridge Project
has conducted over two dozen workshops
geared toward the development of Small
Businesses, DBEs, and CBEs.
The three sessions led by ARTBAs Training
Specialist, Omar Lopez, offered participants the
basic information needed to be safe. The course
focused on teaching them the ability to identify
and correct hazards that they may encounter in a
construction environment, as well as information
regarding workers safety and health rights and
employers responsibilities. Berta Holmes,

The attendees met at 11th Street Bridge Project

Field office on M Street, SE for an intensive
curricula that highlights Roadway Work Zones,
Personal Protective Equipment, Collisions and
Electrical Safety and wrapped up with
Excavations, Trenching and Confined Spaces and
Occupational Health and Environmental Controls
and Evaluations. Graduates obtained the OSHA
10-Hour course completion card provided by the
US Department of Labor.

OSHA trainer teaching the class.

Photo by Cheriss May

President of Platinum Touch Design Studio, Inc.,

remarked, This training was an excellent course
for my profession as an interior designer for
commercial and government projects. I was
pleased to learn information that was applicable
to my industry.

The 11th Street Project team will continue to

provide workshops until the completion of the
project in the Spring. The Workshop series
include: OSHA 10 Training in Spanish, DDOT
Contract Law and Regulations: Project Close Out
and Completion, Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR) Audit and Compliance, DDOT Standards
and Specifications (Gold Book), and OSHA-10
Training for Women. The workshops are free and
open to DBEs, small businesses and CBES.

THE 11TH STREET BRIDGE COMMUNITY CONNECTION FALL 2014

WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY

Paving Your Own Way in Construction

Penny Smothers, Skanskas Assistant Quality Assurance, Quality Control (QA/QC) Manager
Penny Smothers, a native Washingtonian and a resident of Ward 8, got
bit by the construction bug at a very
early age. She recalls one of her
earliest and fondest memories is
repairing a roof with her grandfather. I shadowed my grandfather
on projects around the house,
Smothers said, it was my first
training program.
In 2004, Smothers signed up for
the DC Housing Authoritys public
training course for laborers. In this
program, she was paired with skilled
tradesmen on a series of rotations.
On the day of her graduation,
Smothers was offered a job with
EMC 2 as QA/QC trainee. I almost
fainted, she said, laughing.

As a woman in construction,
Smothers is often asked to share her
story as she did recently at a Junior
Achievement event. I love empowering women and introducing them
to this industry, she said. According
to Smothers, paving your own way in
construction requires determination,
a strong work ethic and being
comfortable in your own tough skin.
Im a leader, not a follower, she
adds to this piece of advice. In my
role, I must uphold the standards of
quality at every stage so its
important to show that compro-mise
is not an option, she said.
Smothers is already making plans for
her future which includes getting
certified in OSHA-30 and pursuing
her Associates degree in ConstrucSince then, Smothers continued to
tion Management. Who knows?
Photo by Cheriss May Perhaps one day Ill have my own
pursue additional learning opportuPenny Smothers in front of the 11st Bridge.
nities like the 11th Street Bridge
construction firm, says Smothers.
Construction Management Program
Penny Smothers takes great pride in
which offered unique field service and accelerated classroom
being a woman in construction and will always be elated to say she had the
instructional curriculum in the highway construction industry. Within six
opportunity to work in her community on the largest project in DDOT's
months, Smothers and her classmates had the opportunity to receive
history, the 11th Street Bridge Project.
their certifications in concrete and soils testing, highway flagging and
construc-tion management.

Elite Hauling Group, Inc. | A First-Class Approach to Business

After the death of her father, Tammy
Proctor wanted to do something
significant to honor his legacy. With
her mother Pamela by her side as an
initial investor and business partner,
Elite Hauling hit the road with one
truck.

Nine years later, Elite Hauling has a fleet

of 11 trucks, 16 employees and has won
over 70 contracts as a Prime and
subcontractor. Proctor attributes her
initial career in sales and marketing as
the foundation for her companys rapid
growth. Before I even earned my
certifications, I hit every Minority
Business meetingsintroducing
myself, making connections and
building my database of prospects.

Proctor feels an immense source of pride in

her relationship with her team. The people I
hire are leaders, not just truckers. Whatever
job they are on, they run it, not me. I'm not a
trucker so I rely greatly on my team for ideas
and their input. I recognize and appreciate the
work they do, she says.

Proctor recognizes that with a lot of growth

one could get a false sense of opportunity and
take on too much. She recalls the 2008
recession and how her business didnt
diminish because she was providing services
to an essential commodity: water & sewage.
In fact, Elite Hauling grew. Stay in your lane if
you want to grow, she advises. Always
looking ahead, Ms. Proctor wants to
Photo by Cheriss May buy some land and open a recycling center
specifically for her current customers. It would
Pamela and Tammy Proctor at the 11st Bridge construction site
allow us to expand our offerings and provide a
This past year, Elite Hauling started three new contracts (the 11th Street
cost savings to our customers, she explains.
Bridge Project, the First Street Tunnel, and the WMATA Greenbelt Test Track)
with Skanska.. Reputation and integrity are the hallmarks of Elite Haulings
Proctor never imagined she would spend her life in this industry. Creating
success. As a woman in this competitive and traditionally male industry,
something significant for her family has been the most rewarding part of
Tammy adheres to two principles: Do what you say youre going to do and
this experience: My mother believed in me. She would never allow me to
be genuine. She has also instilled these values in her team and employs
quit and I never wanted to let her down. I do all of this for our family. This is
individuals who share her ideals.
our legacy.

THE 11TH STREET BRIDGE COMMUNITY CONNECTION FALL 2014

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

The 11th Street Bridge Project Team Spells S-u-c-c-e-s-s
With Its 2014 School Supplies Drive
Having the right tools is important to do your best work,
whether it be a beam launcher
for a bridge builder or something
as simple as a pair of scissors for a
first grader. The right tools make
all the difference. Thanks to the
District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the 11th
Street Bridge Project Teams 2014
School Supplies Drive, over 100
students and a group of teachers
were able to begin the school
year with the tools needed for
success!
The idea to start a school
supplies drive began with the
close out of Phase1 and
members of the 11th Street
Bridge Project Team wanting to
donate leftover supplies, such as
project binders, to area schools.
Our desire to be resourceful and
to help local schools was the
beginning of the school supplies
drive, said Dayvie Paschall,
member of the 11th Street
Bridge Project Team. The team
was so committed to the cause
that even after the deadline,
boxes of paper, pencils, highlighters and glue kept coming in.
DC Public Schools, Children of
Mine and Total Family Care
Coalition were among the
recipients of bags filled with
supplies. School leaders
expressed their appreciation by
sending letters to the 11th Street
Project Team. With the help of
your generous donations, we
have been able to provide our
teachers with additional supplies,
to enable them to create
engaging lessons for our
students, says Maisha
Riddlesprigger, Principal of
Ketcham Elementary School.

THE 11TH STREET BRIDGE COMMUNITY CONNECTION FALL 2014

PROJECT UPDATE
And The Winner Is

The 11th Street Bridge Project Adds Two More Awards to its List of Honors and Achievements
From placing #1 on the 2012 Top Bridges List to
winning the Outstanding Civil Engineering
Award, The 11th Street Bridge Project has been
the recipient of many honors since landing
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Excellence in Environmental Streamlining in 2009.
The trend continues with the addition of two new
awards: the International Roads Federation (IRF)
Global Achievement Award for Excellence in
Project Finance and Economics and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Washington
Contractor Award for Design Build Highway
Contractors.
The International Roads Federation Global

Achievement Award for

Excellence in Project
Finance and Economics
is awarded to projects
that enable road
development to take
place from funding
sources that are
different from traditional government or
institutional procurement. In addition, the project
must demonstrate success in planning, constructing, and/or operating in a cost effective /
profitable manner. The 11th Street Project
satisfied these requirements by securing six
unique major funding sources and the use of a
design-build to budget procurement. The
procurement method reduced the cost of the
project and accelerated the construction
schedule by five months. Ultimately, delivering 80
percent of the project for 60 percent of the cost.
The 11th Street Bridge project, a part of the
$10B Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, is a monumental accomplishment, said Ravindra D. Ganvir,
PE, DDOT, Deputy Chief Engineer, Anacostia
Waterfront Initiative.We are excited that it is not
only being acknowledged nationally as such, but
internation-ally as well.

Second, is the Associated General Contractors

(AGC) Washington Contractor Award for Design
Build Highway Contractors. This award is given to
exceptional projects in the Metropolitan
Washington DC area construction industry. It
recognizes the accomplishments of member
contractors in their professional roles on winning
projects. The 11th Street Bridge Project won in
the Design Build category for being the best
design build highway contractor in the $150 to
$400 million category.
To be considered the best of the Associated
General Contractors, Washington Contractor
Award for Design Build Highway Contractors is an
outstanding achievement, says Stephen Skippen,
Senior Project Manager at Facchina Construction
Company. The dedication of the 11th Street
Bridge Project Team in delivering this project to
the District of Columbia well ahead of schedule,
under budget, of high quality and with an
outstanding safety record is a testament to the
commitment and culture that makes our Team a
success.
Congratulations to the entire 11th Street Bridge
Project Team for their outstanding work and
commitment to excellence. For a full list of 11th
Street Bridge Project honors and awards, visit
www.anacostiawaterfront.org.

11 St. Bridge Project

Saves Time and Money:

11th Street Bridge

Project at a Glance
5 months

Phase 1 was completed early

100 Million

Amount expected to save. Constructed

using the design-build method

Over 1.6 Million

Man-hours worked

2.09

OSHA recordable incident rate

0.49

Lost time incident rate

50

DBEs, CBEs, and Small Businesses

30

Apprentice/On-the-Job training
positions for Phase II

Replaces old bridges

Separates local and freeway traffic and;
Provides the missing link for interstate connections between I-695 and DC-295