Granite Construction Joint Venture Project Wins Project of the Year Award by the American Public Works Association

WATSONVILLE, Calif., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE: GVA) is pleased to announce that the Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor (ReTRAC) was named a Public Works Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA).

The City of Reno, Nevada, the project owner, along with Granite Construction Company, the primary design-build contractor and Jacobs Civil, Inc., the project management consultant were presented with the award during APWA's International Public Works Congress and Exposition in San Antonio, Texas earlier this month. Design efforts on the project were led by Parsons Transportation Group.

Michael F. Donnino, Senior Vice President, Granite East Manager, said "We are honored to receive such a prestigious award. It was a huge success for all of the stakeholders. This is a perfect example of how the Heavy and Branch Divisions have worked well together in the past and how we intend to execute these types of projects in both Granite East and Granite West in the future".

APWA Project of the Year awards are presented annually to promote management and administration excellence of public works projects by recognizing alliances between managing agencies, contractors, consultants and their cooperative achievements. This year APWA selected 18 projects in five categories: Disaster or Emergency Construction/Repair, Environment, Historical Restoration/Preservation, Structures and Transportation.

The ReTRAC project was awarded in the Transportation category for projects more than $100 million. ReTRAC is the largest public works project ever undertaken in northern Nevada. It includes the design and construction of a 2.1-mile-long section of the Union Pacific Railroad line currently running through the downtown Reno area that eliminates traffic congestion, improves safety and enhances downtown aesthetics. The project's impact on the region will be felt for many years to come.

    Project highlights include:

    *  Construction of two mainline tracks with a maximum design speed of 60
       miles per hour and an access road adjacent to the tracks.
    *  Construction of 11 street and one pedestrian bridge across the top of
       the trench.
    *  Construction of a three-mile temporary (shoofly) rail bed and track
       system prior to removal of the existing mainline railroad. The shoofly
       was constructed along a route parallel to the trench while using
       existing Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way and city streets and
       alleys.
    *  9.2 miles of track.
    *  Demolition of nine buildings and two bridges.
    *  Soundproofing of 11 existing buildings.
    *  Excavation of more than 700,000 cubic yards of soil.
    *  Installation of 70,000 cubic yards of structural concrete.
    *  Installation of 50,000 tons of AC.
    *  Installation of nine million pounds of reinforcing steel.

The downtown railroad corridor also includes resurfaced streets, enhanced landscaping, special lighting standards and stamped sidewalks/crosswalks consistent with the City of Reno's Master Landscape Planning Program. In addition, the trench incorporates many elements of public art including special fencing, bridge pilasters and artist-designed public seating.

About Granite

Granite Construction Incorporated is a member of the S&P 400 Midcap Index, the Domini 400 Social Index and the Russell 2000. Granite Construction Company, a wholly owned subsidiary, is one of the nation's largest diversified heavy civil contractors and construction materials producers. Granite Construction Company serves public and private sector clients through its offices and subsidiaries nationwide. For the 4th straight year, Granite was named to FORTUNE'S List of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information about Granite, please visit their website at http://www.graniteconstruction.com.

SOURCE Granite Construction Incorporated