(GIR's jet drier, pulled by a Dodge Ram 1500 and operated by Gateway's Safety Coordinator Brian Eckmann and Maintenance Manager Tom Hefer, work on drying a section of the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge near the track. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)
MADISON, Ill. – Under a gray, dreary sky amid temps in the 40-degree range, Gateway International Raceway’s jet drier was called into action Thursday. Not on GIR’s 1.25-mile oval or NHRA-sanctioned drag strip, but on the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge spanning the Mississippi River from St. Louis to East St. Louis, Ill.
The jet drier, pulled by a Dodge Ram 1500 provided by the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers, and operated by Gateway Safety Coordinator Brian Eckmann and Maintenance Manager Tom Hefer, was used to dry the bridge deck prior to the asphalt paving portion of the project.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has commissioned Keely and Sons Inc., to transform the structure from a four-lane bridge to a three-laned one, with two lanes travelling east and one west. The work is being done to widen the existing lanes and create a median wall, making traffic on the bridge safer.
Bob Germann (pronounced GUR-man), who coincidentally was involved in the paving of Gateway’s oval, is the project manager and said the drier was essential in getting the job done in a timely manner.
“We’re under a 12-day time period to get this job done,” he said, “so with the inclement weather we’ve had in the past few days, it was very essential to get the deck dry so we could get it primed and pave tomorrow.”
Germann said working with Gateway was the only avenue they pursued for assistance. “We didn’t really pursue (another option) once we found out (Gateway) could help us. (They) were our first choice. We just appreciate (their) cooperation.”
GIR’s Director of Operations Tim Giger said it was rewarding to know the facility could respond when called upon for such a project. “We were honored to be able to help Keeley and Sons and the Illinois Department of Transportation with this project. It makes us feel good to know that Gateway International Raceway can do positive things like this for our community.”
Gateway International Raceway will once again host the NHRA Full Throttle Series in 2010 (April 30-May 2) along with a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series/Nationwide Series doubleheader weekend (July 16-17). For ticket information, call 866-35-SPEED or visit GatewayRaceway.com.
Race fans can follow all the action throughout the season at Gateway International Raceway on its official Twitter site at Twitter.com/GatewayRaceway and its official page on Facebook.
