CONSTRUCTION
Walsh Construction Company of La Porte, Ind., the project contractor, is teaming up with design firms Burgess & Niple Engineers of Columbus, Ohio, and Buckland and Taylor Ltd. of North Vancouver, BC, to build the new bridge.
A 600-foot, 1,700-ton section of the new Milton-Madison Bridge has been preassembled on barges in Milton, Ky. In June 2012, the span will be floated a short distance upstream. Special jacks will lift the entire section into place onto temporary piers, which are being built immediately downstream of the existing bridge. A second 727-foot section of span will be built and “lifted” in a similar manner. The remainder of the truss will be erected using cranes.
At one point, there will be two bridges sitting side-by-side. Traffic will be moved from the old bridge to the new bridge on the temporary piers. Eventually, the old superstructure – the upper steel truss section and road deck – will be removed from the existing piers. The final step comes in 2013 when Walsh Construction Company ‘slides’ the new bridge from the temporary piers onto the existing piers, which have been strengthened.
The “design-build” method is used to save time by overlapping the design phase and construction phase of a project. While the process moves at a faster pace, it does not compromise quality and safety. Inspectors monitor every step of construction.
Watch the construction process
Project Schedule – What’s Next?
The construction schedule subject to change depending on weather
