Customized engineering plan meets needs of public, private entities
Aging Railway Overpass is Safety Concern:
A 70-year-old single track railroad bridge in Alvarado, Texas (Johnson County) was a safety concern both to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The aging bridge had clearance of only 13’-10”, well below minimum standards, and the roadway below had a thin pavement section. As part of a bridge replacement contract with TxDOT, a Texas CEC-member firm was selected to devise a replacement method and phasing plan that complied with the needs of all stakeholders.
Need to Limit Traffic Disruption Creates Unique Challenge:
Because traffic flow throughout construction on both the highway and railway needed to be maintained, special consideration had to be given to strict closure limitations. The roadway had to be open to vehicular traffic 100percent of the time, and BNSF limited closing of the rail tracks to 48 hours.
Phased Construction, “Roll-in” technique is Engineering Solution:
Engineers devised a two-phase approach to achieve project objectives. First, minor roadway improvements would occur and the bridge would be replaced using a “roll-in” technique, through which a new single span bridge was constructed alongside the old. The old bridge was dismantled and the new one literally was rolled into place in less than 12 hours. As a result of this engineering approach, railway downtime was limited to 30 hours. The second phase included complete reconstruction of the roadway to meet design standards.
Trusted Engineering Partner Delivers Value:
Despite the unique challenges of this project, the selection of the “roll-in”method enabled the team to reallocate nearly $250,000 from the budget for bridge work to additional road improvements.
*The engineering services expense of a construction project typically is one of its
least costly components. Yet that independent disciple is critical in controlling
overall cost and quality. Trust (Look to) the engineering company professionals
to assure quality and true bottom line value in construction.