NSA Naples' Public Works Paves the Way to Efficiency

NAPLES, ITALY

07.17.2019

Story by Lt. Jamie Moroney 

U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples

NAPLES, Italy – Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples’ Support Site conducted upgrades to a roundabout near the front gate to maximize traffic flow and efficiency, June 22.
Each year the Support Site upgrades parts of the base. This year’s upgrades included a plan for sprucing up the pavement on the roads. When Lt. Daniel Syzdek, a civil engineering corps officer and assistant public works officer for NSA Naples’ Capodichino, Gaeta, Lago Patria, and Carney Park sites, learned that the roads were being repaved, he saw the opportunity to make life better for those living and working on Support Site.
“When Lt. Syzdek found out the main roundabout was going to get some new pavement, he approached me with the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Lt. j.g. J. Zachery Christensen, a civil engineering corps officer and the assistant public works officer for Support Site. “Why not use this chance to implement some much needed improvements to the traffic flow of the base? I quickly agreed.”
The old design of the roundabout was a combination of 20 years of updated traffic codes and security measures, which resulted in a somewhat irregular traffic flow.
“Because it is so close to the main Support Site gate, there are special security considerations that have to be met. Due to tight budgets oftentimes the only solution is to place a stop sign or two rather than redesign an entire section of roadway,” said Christensen. “The intent of a roundabout or traffic circle is to keep the flow of traffic moving at a steady pace without having to stop like you would at a four-way intersection. That intent was lost on the previous iteration of the roundabout.”
When it comes to maximizing traffic efficiency, Syzdek is uniquely qualified to take on such a task: He is a licensed engineer with prior experience in traffic pattern design from his career before joining the U.S. Navy.
“I focused on transportation engineering while earning my civil engineering degree. After graduating from Christian Brothers University in 2009, I worked at a multi-disciplinary engineering firm in the transportation department on the striping and marking of roadways quite regularly, and am a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Maryland,” said Syzdek. “Upon arriving to Naples, I recognized there were improvements that could be made to the roundabouts on Support Site, and knew I would use those opportunities to advocate for improvement.”
Though Syzdek’s primary duty is managing public works for Capodichino, Gaeta, Lago Patria and Carney Park, his passion for the roundabout project at Support Site motivated him to put in extra hours.
“His primary duties keep him very busy, and he’s focused on the well-being of the facilities at Capodichino, but he stayed late at his desk for numerous nights designing the new roundabout,” said Christensen. “He had to take into account base security, pedestrian safety, and both updated Italian and American traffic regulations. This was an excellent example of the Navy being able to take advantage of the unique skill set of its diverse officer corps.”
The project took months to complete. The idea to redesign the roundabout began in February and took two months of discussion and design work. Next, the project needed approval from the Public Works Officer, Cmdr. Russ Pile, and the NSA Naples Commanding Officer, Capt. Todd Abrahamson. The design was then submitted to the base lessor who coordinated with their road painting contractor to get the work done. On June 17 the first paint hit the road, and on June 22 it was completed.
During the paving and painting phases of the redesign, there was a large amount of coordination required to minimize the impact to personnel working and living on Support Site.
“Prior to the execution phase of each project there are numerous joint meetings, with all entities involved, to discuss possible risk, inconveniences, efficiency and quality, among other fundamentals that are associated with the type of work being conducted,” said Equipment Operator 2nd Class Jordan Orton, a facilities operations specialist assigned to NSA Naples. “During these discussions the public works department assesses all of these risks and develops options to ensure that we plan the project to deflect [inconvenience] as much as possible.”
The roundabout’s proximity to the front gate presented unique security challenges as well as traffic issues.
“Having a good traffic plan can be the difference between life and death. It sounds severe but decades of research have gone into knowing the exact tools and systems to implement in a community to ensure both pedestrians and drivers are safe and can reach their destination as quickly as possible. That is no different on a military base,” said Christensen. “There is also the added consideration of Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) and security measures. With the roundabout so close to the front gate we had to make sure that traffic flow would not cause any blockage to the incoming traffic.”
Syzdek also remarked upon the increased safety of the new and unique design.
“The functionality of the new roundabout striping decreases a potentially confusing situation, and therefore decreases the likelihood of a collision,” said Syzdek. “Although having the traffic from the main gate have the right of way is unconventional, it mitigated any risk of a queue forming over the final denial barriers.”
Base upgrades and beautification are not only a morale booster for those that use the facilities, but help personnel to focus on the mission.
“Aesthetics and convenience aren't the only reason we make facility upgrades and improvements. The redesigned roundabout also allows for increased mission readiness,” said Christensen. “Every second an employee saves going to work ensures that much more time dedicated to the mission of NSA Naples and its tenant commands. It also helps ensure security forces, fire, and EMT personnel can more quickly respond to an incident.”
NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
For more news on NSA Naples, please follow us on Instagram @NSANaples, Twitter @NSA_Naples, and Facebook at facebook.com/NSANaples/.

• Date Taken: 07.17.2019
• Date Posted: 07.17.2019 03:33
• Story ID: 331716
• Location: NAPLES, IT