Repairs 5 Bridges Alongside US-24
Project Overview
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), the average age of a bridge in Missouri is 48 years. With most bridges previously designed to last 50 years, MoDOT is facing infrastructure that needs replacement. To solve this, the GBA team was tasked to develop a solution to replace (5) bridges. These bridges were nearing the end of their service life as part of Missouri’s Focus on Bridges program.
The Problem:
Missouri needed updated bridge infrastructure
GBA was hired by MoDOT to provide roadway, traffic, hydraulics and hydrology, and bridge design for the replacement of five structures along US-24 near Buckner, MO. Four bridges are located on westbound US-24, west of Buckner. Since all four structures crossed Fire Prairie Creek or an adjacent drainage ditch, 2D hydraulic modeling was utilized to analyze flow to each of the structures, allowing the design team to appropriately size all four bridges.
The Solution:
Hire GBA to provide updated recommendations and construction services
The bridge east of Buckner, located on eastbound US-24, spans the Union Pacific Railroad. Coordinating with the railroad and MoDOT, the team selected a bridge layout that incorporated two future tracks. The replacement bridge was constructed with adequate vertical clearance and placed most substructure elements outside of the railroad right-of-way. An exhaustive explanation was submitted to document the feasibility of placing a bent within railroad right-of-way due to existing right-of-way constraints. Union Pacific concurrence for the proposed layout was required throughout the design and into construction.
Crossovers onto opposing US-24 lanes were utilized during construction to eliminate road closures. US-24 remained open during construction, with one lane in each direction.
