TORONTO — Acrow’s long-span modular steel Delta bridge was recently installed as a permanent replacement for the aging single-lane Thessalon River Bridge on Highway 638 in Rydal Bank, Ont.
A wider two-lane replacement of the bridge was needed and, after evaluating other options, Acrow’s solution was selected. The bridge was provided to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) through project contractor The Miller Group.
The project, which was located in a remote area, posed a number of challenges. The bridge provides access for emergency vehicles, so a short construction time was considered critical, with a maximum 15-day closure of the bridge permitted, stated a release.
The worksite also had an extremely limited footprint and steep slopes on both sides of the east bridge approach prohibited its use as a temporary laydown area. Components were therefore shipped to a nearby quarry pit where, after sorting, they were transported by truck to the construction site. Because timing was so vital, a fleet of 22 trucks was used to ensure a co-ordinated, efficient offloading of bridging materials, adds the release.
The long-span Delta solution has a length of 67.5 metres and a curb-to-curb width of 7.35 metres to accommodate two lanes of traffic, plus a cantilevered footwalk on one side. After site preparation including earthworks, foundation, unloading and preassembly of the Delta truss panels, the old bridge was removed. Assembly of the new bridge began and it was installed seven days later using a full cantilever launch, and jacked down onto its bearings, from a height of more than two metres. It opened to traffic on July 2.
The bridge has been designed with the capacity for two lanes of standard CL-625-ONT (64 metric tonnes) and pedestrian loading and was provided with an epoxy aggregate anti-skid coating, the release indicates.
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