Pulice – a FlatironDragados company, alongside the Mesa Gateway Airport Authority and designer Kimley-Horn, has been recognized by the International Partnering Institute with a Collaborative Project of the Year award for the CMAR Runway 12R-30L Reconstruction Phase I project at Mesa Gateway Airport.
“This award shows that ‘collaborative work’ is not just an empty phrase; it means working together to save time and money, ultimately delivering a product the traveling public deserves,” said Pulice President Victor Jimenez. “Congratulations to the whole team, we are proud of all our work at Mesa Gateway Airport.”
"Winning the IPI Collaborative Project of the Year Award for Runway 12R-30L Reconstruction Phase I is a strong testament to what the Pulice/Mesa Gateway Airport/Kimley-Horn team accomplished together on this important and challenging airfield infrastructure project,” said Mesa Gateway Airport Authority J. Brian O’Neill. “We are now experiencing similar success with the team completing Phase II. Pulice leads by example – collaboration, communication, integrity, and accountability!”
In its award letter, IPI said the project team distinguished itself by implementing IPI best practices, fostering high-trust relationships and helping “change the culture of construction.”
Working as a team bears fruit.
The $18.5 million CMAR job rebuilt 2,800 feet of primary runway pavement between Taxiways B3 and L, along with shoulders, grading, drainage, lighting, signage and striping, all while maintaining airport access. The work finished without delays and was delivered under budget and ahead of schedule.
The close collaboration brought forth by the CMAR contract led to several victories during the project:
At one point, crews encountered undocumented live fiber-optic and communications lines that could not be taken out of service or relocated. Pulice, Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, and Kimley-Horn worked together to resolve the conflict, redesigning protection measures and rephrasing the work to maintain operations during construction.
The team developed a one-phase runway transition plan that reopened Taxiway K ahead of schedule. It used on-site concrete and cement-treated base batching to improve schedule control and reduce hauling risk.
The team worked together to significantly reduce the amount of unsuitable material on the project, leading to savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“The team relied instead on an established working relationship, recurring check-ins and a shared decision-making process that resolved issues early,” said Senior Project Manager Jeff Gergal. “Collaboration is always valuable when it protects operations, preserves schedule and leaves the owner with a better project than originally planned.”
The project team will officially receive the award in San Francisco in April.