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Better Bridges County Saves Bridge
Costs with Steel
An 80-foot truss bridge provides a
new way home for residents of Meade County, Kentucky.
by Jeff McConahy
 The Crosier Bottom Bridge was a far cry from a major
artery in Meade County, Kentucky. But for a few dozen residents, it was the
only way to get home.
In fact, the bridge, which was built during the
1970s, wasn’t really much of a bridge at all. It was a 20-foot-wide culvert
allowing for one lane of traffic in both directions. Whenever there was hard
rainfall, the excessive tail water from the Ohio River would completely
submerge the culvert — making the bridge impassable for several days.
Residents would be stranded or forced to take a lengthy detour while waiting
for the water to recede.
In addition to immobilizing residents, the flooding
of the culvert regularly caused excessive buildup of debris — blocking the
opening and requiring difficult maintenance. And when the Ohio River reached
flood stage in the early spring of 2002, the culvert was simply washed away
completely.
Due to the length of a detour for Crosier Road and
the existence of a dangerous hairpin turn, quick replacement of the bridge
for emergency vehicles and school buses was critical. Meade County Judge
Executive Mark Brown requested quotes for an immediate replacement.
The solution
 One of the original proposals Judge Brown received
was for a concrete structure that would cost the county $250,000, plus
installation costs. In May of 2002,
Contech Construction Products,
Incorporated and CPI presented a design-build proposal, which included
engineering, designing, and installing an 80-foot-long
Steadfast prefabricated steel truss bridge at a price significantly less than the
proposed concrete bridge.
The process
CPI and Temple Excavating of Salem, Indiana, were
awarded the construction contract. After taking soil bearings of the project
area, they found out there was about 17 feet from the top of the road to the
bottom of the ditch. They would hit bearing about 10 to 15 feet below the
ditch line, which would not be enough depth to ensure that the bridge
remained stable. To remedy this, they drove foundation H-piles to 5 feet and
then battered them to keep the bridge secure.
The cap was then poured on top of the pilings to
surface the actual bridge. The bridge was shipped in two 40-foot links that
were bolted together, lifted by crane, and attached to the abutment. They
topped off the bridge with a concrete deck.
To prevent the possibility of future washouts from
rain and river water, crews gave the new bridge a vertical alignment that
was 5-feet higher than the original culvert.
The entire project, from start to finish, took only
30 days.
On the job
Not only was the price attractive, but without the
need for piers, Meade County now had a remedy to a long list of problems —
frequent washouts, debris buildup, and ongoing maintenance.
Judge Brown decided on a painted finish for the
Steadfast Bridge to match the aesthetics of the rural setting. A local
resident, upon seeing the completed bridge said, “The County has rebuilt
this bridge the right way. This is something to be proud of in our
neighborhood.” In fact, residents liked the bridge so much, they named it
the Mark Brown Bridge after the judge who made it all possible.
Jeff McConahy is regional sales
engineer for Contech Construction Products.
Reprinted from Better Roads Magazine
May 2004 |
