Temporary Bridge is the Cost and Safety Solution

Item #: 20260025

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Region One
Implementation Lead: Brady Roberts
Development Team:
- Brady Roberts
- Matt Rink
- PJ Roubinet
Article Written By: Winston Inoway
Innovation Council Liaison: Darren Qu
Innovation Team Coordinator: Winston Inoway

STATUS

Implementation Date: May 1, 2023
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: Would a temporary bridge help you help keep Utah Moving?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Construction Practices
Organization(s): Central Construction, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4
Job Role(s): Construction Engineer, Program Manager, Roadway Operations / IMT
Tags: Highway transportation, capital costs, occupational safety, crashes, injuries, economic benefits, expenses, expenditures, rural development, value of life, value of time, ( adoption ), contract administration > bids, contracting, solicitations, contracts, ( RFP, FRQ ), logistics > inventory, distribution, purchasing, procurement, warehousing, supply chain management, civil engineering, geology, mechanical engineering, construction, highway operations, ( traffic operations ), project management, construction safety, railroad safety, traffic safety > highway safety, trucking safety, Structure, environmental quality > pollution > air, noise, public opinion, quality of life, ( connected communities )

PROBLEM

1900 North (Lost Creek Road), a county road in Morgan County near Croydon, required a bridge replacement over the Weber River. UDOT was the administer of the federally funded project started in 2022. Due to multiple factors such as high water runoff and nearby railroad restrictions, it became clear that the bridge project was not going to reopen by the expected completion date.

Extending the bridge closure would significantly impact local users, especially the nearby cement plant. The plant would soon begin its busy season shipping the ash and cement products required for paving and construction projects across the region. The road over the river needed to be open and available on time, so a timely solution was needed.

CHANGE

After considering options and weighing alternatives, installing a temporary bridge was determined to be the most cost effective and safety-minded solution. A temporary modular steel bridge from Acrow was installed from June until November. This allowed commercial truck traffic to operate during this busy construction period. In the late fall, once the high-demand truck traffic decreased and the water flow volume dropped, the permanent bridge project was resumed and the project completed before the next construction season.

RESULT

The county road provides an essential commercial access to Interstate 84. The cost of installing a temporary bridge was compared with the costs and impacts of keeping the road closed or re-routing traffic. By installing a temporary bridge for four months, the cement plant was able to fulfill its supply deliveries and keep other construction projects on schedule. This mitigated significant rippling regional effects of continued closure. The option of re-routing heavy truck traffic through the town of Croydon increased neighborhood safety risks. In addition, re-routing trucks would require the use of a rural county road that would suffer significant damage from heavy load use and would require repair or replacement. The higher financial costs and possible safety dangers made the cost of a temporary bridge with immediate road access the right solution.

Before and after bridge images

Acrow temporary bridge assembly

IMPACT

BETTER MOBILITY

Provided highway access despite project delays
Allowed essential commercial traffic

GOOD HEALTH

Avoided trucks in residential areas
Minimized impacts to nearby railroad structures

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES

Avoided routing heavy equipment through Croydon city streets

STRONG ECONOMY

Minimized impact on cement business
Allowed access to materials for regional construction projects

EFFICIENCIES

Estimated Cost Savings in the First Year (FY YYYY): $NN,NNN [or Anticipated break-even by MMM, YYYY (N years, N months)]
Cost Avoidance: $N,NNN over NN years (MMM D, YYYY - MMM D, YYYY)*
Labor Avoidance: NNN hours annually*
Benefit/Cost Ratio: BB:1

*Benefits are estimated net of initial and ongoing expenses. Savings are averaged over the expected benefit life of the innovation. See details.

Page updated

Report abuse