MDOT deploys unique technology to inspect underwater infrastructure
March 11, 2021
Inspecting bridge scour – sediment around the substructure of a bridge – is difficult for all agencies, especially during high water or severe weather events. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Great Lakes Engineering Firm have used a small, autonomous boat-like device called EMILY to inspect scour beyond what is usually possible during......
Tilikum Crossing, Pedestrian and Transit Bridge
July 10, 2020
Spanning over 1700 feet, Tilikum Crossing is the longest car-free bridge in the US. The bridge connects communities across the Willamette River in Portland. Projects like this improve city connectivity, attract business, and set a national standard for multi-modal infrastructure. To finance the bridge’s construction, multiple sources came together including federal grants, Oregon Lottery revenues,......
Town of Shakopee Develops Alternative Intersection to Reduce Congestion and Improve Mobility
March 07, 2017
Downtown Minneapolis is experiencing rapid population growth that is stretching the capacity of its current transportation systems. To combat existing congestion and proactively address future crowding, the Town of Shakopee, a small community near Minneapolis, decided intersection and crossing improvements were the most useful and cost-effective tool for reducing congestion and protecting bicyclists. Shakopee’s project,......
RhodeWorks Transforming Rhode Island Bridges
March 07, 2017
Rhode Island consistently ranks among the states with the largest number of structurally deficient bridges. Two of those deficient bridges, connecting the East Shore communities with Interstate 195, were built in 1959 and have weight restrictions, adversely impacting area businesses and residents. In an effort to restore bridges in the state, Rhode Island DOT developed......
Historic Milton-Madison Bridge Project
March 07, 2017
The Milton-Madison Bridge has connected the small river towns of Madison, Indiana and Milton, Kentucky for 85 years. However, after eight decades and millions of vehicle crossings, the bridge’s 20-foot-wide road deck had become too narrow to handle modern traffic, and the bridge was showing signs of deterioration. Seizing on the opportunity to replace the......
Town in Connecticut Builds Bridge Out of a ‘Backpack’
March 07, 2017
Traditional bridge construction can be a costly and lengthy process, greatly affecting local traffic. In Weston, Conn., the Department of Transportation used first-of-its-kind “bridge-in-a-backpack” technology to replace a major bridge in just 16 weeks, rather than two years. The bridge over the Saugatuck River, originally constructed in 1933, experienced about 9,100 crossings each day and......
Bundling Bridge Projects to Save Money and Build Faster
February 16, 2017
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has embarked on an ambitious $899 million Rapid Bridge Replacement Project with construction to begin the summer of 2015 on 558 bridges across the state. The final list of 558 bridges was determined after screening more than 2,000 bridges. The private sector team will manage the bridges’ design, construction and......
February 16, 2017
The Federal Highway Administration worked with officials in Defiance County, Ohio, on a form of accelerated bridge construction that uses geosynthetic-reinforced soil. Rather than drilling a deep foundation, the reinforced soil method builds up the substructure in a faster, simpler way, described as akin to building a layer cake. For this type of bridge, there......
February 16, 2017
In the Gila River Indian Community south of Phoenix, they employed a “bridge slide,” the first of its kind in Arizona, to place the pre-manufactured sections of bridge in position. It was done with minimal traffic disruptions and shrunk the construction period from four months to nine days. The previous 140-foot bridge was built in......
February 16, 2017
The Kittery Route 1 Overpass bridge was over 70 years old and located in a tourist destination area. Using accelerated bridge construction saved the Maine Department of Transportation in construction costs and shaved significant time off the project. The precast concrete elements were delivered on time, and the town of Kittery was pleased with the......
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