CONSTRUCTION
Walsh Construction Company of La Porte, Ind., the project contractor, is teaming up with design firms Burgess & Niple Engineers of Columbus, Ohio, and Buckland and Taylor Ltd. of North Vancouver, BC, to build the new bridge.
After two preassembled sections of the bridge were lifted into place in 2012, the 2,427-foot-long truss is now complete. The next step is to pour the concrete decking for the bridge, which is currently underway. After that, traffic will be moved from the old bridge to the new bridge on temporary piers. Eventually, the old steel truss will be removed from the existing piers. The final step comes in late summer 2013 when Walsh Construction Company ‘slides’ the new bridge from the temporary piers onto the existing piers, which have been strengthened. The end result is that the new bridge will sit entirely within the footprint of the existing bridge.
The “design-build” method is used to save time by overlapping the design phase and construction phase of a project. While the process moves at a faster pace, it does not compromise quality and safety. Inspectors monitor every step of construction.
Watch the construction process
Project Schedule – What’s Next?
The construction schedule is subject to change.
