Case Study: Mountain Valley Contracting achieves 20% faster milling and maximized concrete yields with Trimble

Trimble Technology Helps Contractor Maximize Concrete Yields For Milling Project in Rocky Mountains

Mountain Valley Contracting, a Grand Junction, Colorado–based milling and paving contractor, was hired to mill a 4.5-mile stretch of I‑70 through Glenwood Canyon. The job required tight profiling tolerances to maximize concrete yields and achieve a very smooth ride, and traditional stringline surveying would have been too labor‑intensive to meet the schedule and owner expectations.

The team deployed Trimble’s GCS900 3D grade control system and SPS930 total station (with SITECH support and operator training), milling in half‑mile increments and spot‑checking grades with the total station. The system cut the project to 18 days (nine days per side), shaving four days (20%) off the timeline, greatly reduced survey effort (≈90%), delivered manpower and material savings, improved bid competitiveness, helped meet CDOT ride incentives, and has since been used to drive further savings on subsequent projects.

Mountain Valley Contracting

Lane Johnson

Construction Manager