Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems
Lewis and Clark Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Location | SR 433 across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington State |
| State | WA |
| Completion Date | 2004 |
| Contact Person | Jerry Weigel, P.E., Washington State Department of Transportation, (360) 705-7207 |
| Description | This full-depth precast deck replacement was for a steel truss bridge 5,478 ft. long and 34 ft. wide with 34 spans. A joint project by the Oregon and Washington Departments of Transportation to widen and replace the deteriorating deck on this historic 1929 steel truss bridge allowed full closures between 9:30 pm and 5:30 am for only 120 nights, plus 4 weekend closures. Alternative plans to replace the bridge deck would have required replacing it lane by lane (4 years), full closure of the bridge for several months, or full closure every weekend for 6 months. The contractor was able to meet scheduling constraints by using prefabricated deck panels-a large transport device moved the new panel to the top of the bridge, removed the old panel that crews had just cut out, and then lowered the new panel into place before taking the old panel off the bridge. Work will be completed by December 2004. The majority of the existing bridge deck was replaced with precast concrete deck panels made of lightweight concrete with a modified concrete overlay supported by two longitudinal steel stringers with intermediate transverse stringers. The bridge also used prefabricated widening sections supported by a single longitudinal steel girder. In addition, the project included precast approach slabs. Oregon and WS DOT extended the life of the bridge by an estimated 25 years. In addition, prefabrication allowed inspection of the new deck before installation without use of specialized equipment. For Max J. Kuney Company of Spokane, use of prefabricated elements and systems reduced workers exposure to traffic during construction and improved the constructibility of the bridge. Use of prefabrication allowed the bridge to remain open for normal weekday operation, particularly important for traffic related to the Port of Longview. |
| Photo |  |
| Prefabricated Elements | full |
| Other Keywords | full-depth deck panels |
| Advantages | Minimized traffic disruption, constructibility, work-zone safety |
| Photo Credits | Washington State Department of Transportation |
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