The Champ Clark Bridge

The existing Champ Clark bridge carrying US highway 54 over the Mississippi River at Louisiana, Missouri was completed in 1928. But after 90 years of service, frequent maintenance required to keep the bridge safe and the narrow 20-foot wide roadway drove the decision by the Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation to replace the bridge.

The RFP issued by MoDOT and IDOT required the design-build teams to develop a safer, reliable bridge with 405 feet of navigation clearance, requiring minimal maintenance, and providing at least a century of service life. The project was awarded to the Massman Construction-HNTB team in July 2017.

The design-build team won the project by optimizing span lengths, avoiding BNSF railroad right-of-way, and by accelerating construction while minimizing the potential for schedule delays through the use of full depth precast deck panels. The final design features an 1845-foot main unit with four lines of 12 foot deep steel plate girders, including twin 420 foot long navigation and auxiliary channel spans. The 442-foot-long Illinois approach unit consists of prestressed concrete NU girders. The new deck provides two 12-foot lanes with 10-footshoulders, providing a structure that residents can safely utilize for the next 100 years.

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