Demolition began this week on Highway W’s bridge over the Black River. Robertson Construction is moving full speed ahead to tear down the 60-year-old bridge and build its replacement in only 120 days.
Crews will work seven days a week as long as material shipments and weather permit.
“We’re actually going to try to peel some time off of that because we know how important this bridge is,” said project manager Travis Slayton.
Crews began disassembling the bridge from one end to the other on Thursday, June 2. They first removed the guardrail, then pulverized the concrete deck using a backhoe with a “breaker” attachment on the arm, which Slayton compared to a giant jackhammer. The backhoe crawled from west to east, methodically chipping the bridge down to its metal struts and showering the ground below with concrete chunks and dust.
Slayton explained this was the easy part.
“It’s a lot faster just to break that up an let that fall, we can do that over dry land...When we get to the water we’ll have to start sawing the deck off in sections and lifting them up so nothing hits the water,” he said. He expected to have two 100-foot cranes delivered Friday for this purpose. The Black River will remain open until work commences overhead.
After removing the concrete, workers will dismantle the metal components to recycle as scrap, then take down the bridge’s piers. The new bridge will stand on drilled shaft foundations, which go in fast and ensure stability by setting the structure’s supports directly on the bedrock. Slayton noted, “You get a lot of lateral stability.”
Drilling is scheduled to begin June 20. The new piers will be realigned to avoid the old foundations, and Slayton believes their placement will improve boat access and parking under the bridge.
The new bridge will have a lifespan of 75 years.
Comparing this bridge’s demolition to past projects, Slayton believed the replacement was warranted. The old bridge was
“degraded” even though it was technically safe to drive.
“This one’s really weak — it shouldn’t be breaking that easy,” he noted.
The Highway W bridge is being replaced as part Gov. Mike Parsons’ 2020 Focus on Bridges program. Work was funded by fuel taxes.