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Mary Scott Nabers is managing director of the research and consulting firm Strategic Partnerships Inc. and author of “Inside the Infrastructure Revolution – A Roadmap for Rebuilding America.” The opinions are the author’s own.
Approximately $14.4 billion is spent annually to repair, rehabilitate or replace bridges in the US, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. However, this annual amount has increased and will continue to increase because the delay in bridge repairs, which are essential it is estimated at 125 billion dollars.
Many of America’s bridges were built during the bridge building boom of the 1950s that correlated with the country’s expanding suburbanization and the development of the interstate highway system. Unfortunately, these bridges are reaching the end of their useful lives.
With about 50,000 American bridges with critical problems pending attention, an estimated 40% of them can be rehabilitated, but at least 35% will require complete replacement. Bridge projects will account for a large portion of all infrastructure improvements over the next decade. Contractors of all types will be needed to meet the expected high demand.
Below are some examples of the types of these ongoing projects:
Cape Coral Bridge, Florida
Officials in Lee County, Fla., are developing plans to replace the Cape Coral Bridge, which crosses the Caloosahatchee River. The board of directors has decided to continue with the various phases described in a project plan.
One of the components includes the construction of two new parallel bridges, each with three lanes. A new U-turn will be developed under the two new bridges, along with a pedestrian bridge over the carriageway. The estimated cost of this effort is $301 million.
Another element of the project will alter the roadway that passes over the existing bridge. Cape Coral Parkway will be widened to six lanes adjacent to the river and widened. A dividing barrier will be installed between traffic traveling in different directions and two intersections near the bridge will be improved.
Woolsey Finnell Bridge, Alabama
The Alabama DOT has announced plans to replace the 60-year-old Woolsey Finnell Bridge in the city of Tuscaloosa. The bridge carries more than 50,000 motorists daily and must be expanded to accommodate continued traffic growth.
The new bridge project, estimated to cost $125 million, will require nearly 2 miles of construction across the Black Warrior River to provide eight lanes of vehicular traffic. It will include bike and pedestrian lanes, a pedestrian walkway to the bridge and earthworks.
Current plans call for construction to take place in three phases. Phase 1 will clear the construction area and add additional pavement and support piers. Phase 2 will relocate traffic, remove the current bridge and pave a new median. Phase 3 will cut the new road and realign traffic. The project is currently in the planning stages and officials hope to begin construction in 2025.
Burlington-Winooski Bridge, Vermont
The Vermont towns of Burlington and Winooski will partner to replace a 96-year-old bridge connecting the two downtowns. The current bridge serves about 25,000 vehicles and 300 cyclists and pedestrians daily and is nearing the end of its useful life.
The replacement bridge will provide four 11-foot-wide lanes and two 12-foot-wide shared paths for pedestrians, bicyclists and wheelchair users separated by a traffic barrier. The bridge project will cost between $60 million and $80 million, and federal funds have been allocated.
The project is currently pursuing environmental commitments and right-of-way processes. It will be delivered through a design and build contract.
Tennessee River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, Tennessee
A partnership that includes the city of Knoxville, the University of Tennessee and the Knoxville Community Development Corporation will plan and oversee a pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting the university’s main campus to the South Knoxville waterfront redevelopment area . Across the Tennessee River, this $70 million bridge project will provide improved connectivity to the university from residential areas across the river.
Envisioned as an iconic landmark for Knoxville, the new bridge will span from Clancy Avenue on the south side to the pedestrian entrance on the north side of the river. It will have no piers and will meet the required vertical safety requirements of the river barge bed.
Once the project is complete, Knoxville’s pedestrian and bicycle network will expand to include 18 miles of greenway and 50 miles of wilderness. Application documents should be available by the end of 2024.
Justice Arch Bridge, Iowa
In April, the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received $56 million in federal funding for a project to replace the existing “Arch of Justice” bridge. At a projected cost of more than $76 million, a new bridge will be built to span the Cedar River.
It will rise 15 feet higher than the existing structure and sit above the flood crest as of 2008, which was over 31 feet. With a single-pier cable design, the bridge will connect both sides of the Cedar River, increasing access to local trails and improving overall intercity connectivity.
The project will also address lighting and nearby landscaping needs and incorporate two pedestrian bike lanes on either side of the bridge. About 30 percent of the design work is complete, and officials are awaiting environmental clearance so they can begin soliciting contractors. Construction is scheduled for 2027.
Church Street Bridge, South Carolina
A $30 million rehabilitation bridge project in South Carolina will address critical improvements needed on the Church Street Bridge in Greenville. The bridge was built in 1959 and is awaiting infrastructure and safety improvements.
The project will include improving the overall structure of the bridge, including its deck and the structure’s storm drainage system. Other components of the project will include improvements to the bridge deck, including painting of steel girders, joint sealing, crack repairs and hydrodemolition with concrete overlay.
The plans also call for an overhaul of a portion of the bridge that spans about a third of a mile, which will require a full replacement. Other components of the project will include widening existing sidewalks, erecting guardrails for pedestrian use, implementing new lighting systems, and replacing the existing stairway leading to the avenue McBee.
The planning and engineering phase of the effort is underway, and construction upgrades should begin in early 2025.