Construction of Utah Correctional Facility, which will be the largest of its kind in the USA according to Michael Ambre the assistant director of Utah Department of Facilities Construction and management is currently underway.
Mr. Ambre said that more than 200 people are working around the clock on the approximately US $900m project located in Salt Lake City. The prison site is 1.3 million sq. ft. on 170 acres.
Work done so far
The major construction works on this project include the erection of walls, installation of roofs and completion of site utilities. According to Mr. Ambre the exterior walls are up, and roof structures are being installed on two out of eight buildings under construction and they expect to begin roofing within the next few weeks. He also mentioned that additional buildings and large portions of the site have received bids, and the work will begin within the next 30-45 days.
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The build-up of the overall site to the construction levels has already been completed, along with the installation of much of the underground sewer lines. Furthermore, the establishment of water mains and project access roads has also been addressed, with work at three utility lift stations underway.
However, a significant amount of work remains. A number of a total of 30 buildings, some of which are not as large and not as hard as others are yet to be constructed.
Security enhancement
Mr. Ambre said that is part of the project and that the entire site perimeter will be bordered with 12ft. high chain-link fence, with razor ribbon at the top and bottom. “There are a lot of sections divided by additional fencing and for that reason, there will be a sophisticated security electronics system installed that will assist the corrections staff with security,” he added.
The general contractor for the project is a joint venture between Layton construction and Oakland construction companies. Big D construction is the managing consultant while Kitchell construction is the project manager.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2022 and start operations late in the second quarter of the same year.
