Rapid Bridge Replacements - Video Of Bridge Slide

Hello Everyone,

We have added a video link of an interesting project to our website. It's of a rapid bridge replacement we worked on in Southwest, Oregon. The prime constructed two bridges outside of the highway alignment on each end of a tunnel approach and constructed the substructures under the live bridges. Then, on two separate weekends, demoed each bridge and jacked the new bridges into place.

Check it out at http://www.geonorthwest.com

Regards,

Randy Fitch, PS

Cool video. A company did a similar job to this in my home town about 10yrs ago. The self supporting steel bridge needing replacing and the community pushed for a replacement in the same location and of the same design for historical reasons. The company opted to pour new footings North of the bridge, reroute the road and withing a 4hr period they jacked up the bridge and rolled it over to the new footings. The old bridge became the temporary and the new bridge was built in its old location. The bridge was over 250' and stood at least 80' high, i cannot remember how much it weighed. I had to leave before it was moved but i remember seeing the equipment they used to move it and i must say it was far simpler than i would have ever imagined. All they used 1" steel threaded rod that went through a dead point with a welded nut on the end and it then went through the rollers which were threaded. All it took were two guys, one on each end of the bridge with what looked like Milwaukee pipe threaders to spin the threaded rod and that would draw the bridge over.

I do not have any pics but you can see the new bridge in this video at 4:33 . The old bridge was the same size and design but had a smaller structure over all, it also had an open steel decking for traffic and the walkway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4PWVYktdNk

Very cool video.

There was an old steel bridge over the Kiwishiwi(sp) river south of Ely MN that was done very similar to what Woodchuck described. They just rolled the old bridge to the side and used it temporarily while building the new. We fished walleyes and had a few beers while watching them crane in the new prefab concrete beams....double the fun