Acrow Bridge (an AISC/NSBA member and certified fabricator) announced it has provided the Indiana DOT (INDOT) a temporary steel detour bridge that is being used on U.S. Route 41 over the Cheatam Slough in Evansville, Ind.
The structure will be in place for two years as part of the larger, $25 million Fix For 41 construction collaboration between INDOT and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that will rehabilitate seven bridges on the highway from near the Interstate 69 interchange in Evansville south to the Kentucky border. The construction zone includes 1.4 miles in Indiana and 2.3 miles in Kentucky.
The use of the rental bridge is expected to decrease the project timeline by an entire year, allowing for cost savings and far less inconvenience to the public. By using the detour bridge, two lanes of traffic in each direction will be able to remain open along this heavily trafficked highway during all phases of the project. Some of the bridges involved are more than 70 years old, and it is expected that once rehabilitated, the lifespan of the bridges and roadway will be extended by 25 years.
The project was unusual in several respects. The 390-ft-long rental bridge was specially manufactured to a required non-standard usable width of 26 ft, and the tight work zone required complex staging work. The components were on site in August and will be in place until the completion of the overall project, currently anticipated to be the summer of 2019. The design engineer is Butler Fairman Seufert of Indianapolis.
“Keeping traffic moving at speed is critical to minimize traffic delay costs, especially on a busy interstate highway as was the case with this project,” said Bill Killeen, CEO of Acrow Bridge. “The rental market has gained a strong foothold in the highway construction industry for its obvious safety benefits and its ability in helping to ensure the project stays on or ahead of schedule.”