North Tarrant Express: How HydroDemolition Helped Complete a $2.2M Bridge Project 3 Months Ahead of Schedule

When time, traffic, and safety are non-negotiable, innovation becomes the best tool in your box. That’s exactly how Ferrovial Construction — and its trusted partner Aggregate Technologies, Inc. — tackled the North Tarrant Express Capacity Improvements Project in Texas.

With a job scope involving major road and bridge widening, the team turned to HydroDemolition for precision concrete removal. The result? A cleaner, safer jobsite and a $2.2 million project completed 3 months early.

Watch our radio station interview where Ronnie & Belin Wills talk about this award-winning project:

Why HydroDemolition Was the Concrete Removal Solution

Traditional demolition methods often involve noisy jackhammers and imprecise chipping. But Ferrovial and ATI needed a more refined approach — one that preserved the existing structural integrity of the bridges and minimized downtime.

Here’s what HydroDemolition helped achieve:

• Eliminated risk of rebar damage by using water — not vibration — for removal
• Reduced debris and dust, keeping the jobsite cleaner and safer
• Recycled water used in the process, minimizing environmental impact
• Enabled precision work during extremely short night shifts

“Due to the scope of work and because we are trying to keep as much of the existing structures as possible, we knew we had to think more creatively. We were exploring innovative solutions and learned about the hydro demolition and knew it would be a great fit for what we need to get done.”
– Ignacio Milans, CEO of NTE CIP

The Challenge: Tight Deadline via Night Shifts & No Room for Error

This wasn’t a typical bridge project.

To maintain live traffic flow, the crew was limited to working within a tight deadline and even tighter timeframe, usually somewhere between 11PM and 3AM each night — that’s just four – six hours to saw, remove, and expose critical bridge elements.

Safety, precision, and speed were essential. And when jackhammers or traditional methods couldn’t deliver on all three, ATI stepped in with a smarter solution: robotic HydroDemolition.

In the end, the project that was expected to take 9 months wrapped in just 6.

The use of HydroDemolition allowed the contractor’s team to:

• Stay ahead of schedule
• Maintain zero injuries or incidents
• Protect and reuse the original bridge structure
• Reduce overall labor intensity and manual chipping

Why HydroDemolition Matters To Contractors and Project Managers

If you’re a contractor, GC, or project manager working on bridge retrofits or widening projects, here’s what this job proves:

• HydroDemolition is faster and safer than traditional methods
• It’s ideal for preserving embedded reinforcement and tight tolerances
• It enables smarter use of limited work windows — perfect for night work or high-traffic zones
• It’s a proven solution for DOT and infrastructure-level jobs

Learn More About The Award-Winning Concrete Removal Solution or Start a Project

Want to learn more about how HydroDemolition can save your timeline — and your rebar?

• Explore our award-winning concrete removal solution: HydroDemolition
• Learn more about HydroDemolition for Bridge-Widening projects