Progress on the construction of Hilliard Bridge is on target for the original estimated completion date of Friday, Sept. 30.
“It is really going well, we haven’t had any issues,” Travis Slayton, project manager for Robertson Contractors, Inc., said Monday. “Everything has been done within the guidelines we were given.
“We should be finishing possibly even a few days ahead of schedule.”
The bridge was closed June 1 for replacement. It is located between County Road 525 and Ravenwood Lane on W Highway near Poplar Bluff.
The 12 beams that will support the new bridge will begin arriving Friday.
“Definitely let people know that it is going to stop traffic at times,” said Slayton.
The beams each measure more than 100 feet long and will require the use of escorts to clear the path for their delivery.
“The beams will be brought in over a period of about seven days,” said Slayton, “people should be watching for the escorts and paying attention.”
Monday workers poured the final foundation shafts in preparation for the installation of the beams. “The drilled shafts are 40 feet in the ground with the last 10 feet into bedrock,” said Slayton.
The foundation pour is a unique process where workers pump the concrete into the bottom forcing the groundwater up. A steel cylindrical pipe that will house the reinforced concrete shaft is placed in the water, once in place, it is filled with concrete via a tube that is inserted into the cylinder.
Workers place a Nerf ball into the tube at the beginning of the pouring process and retrieve it when it reaches the surface, ensuring that water does not mix with the concrete, but Slayton went on to explain how they also use a video camera and sonic pulse testing as well to make sure the pour is uniform throughout.
“There really is a lot that goes into this,” said Slayton. “We try to get a 75-year life cycle out of them (the bridges).”
The steel that was removed from the previous bridge was recycled according to Slayton and the concrete also has a new use.
“We use that to line the slopes to keep them from eroding when we’re done,” he said.
The concrete has been broken into smaller pieces for this, which according to Slayton is a technique used by contractors and engineers often to save time and expenses.
The excessive heat has been one thing that has added difficulty to the job.
“It has been pretty tough on the guys. Some days it has been miserable out here, but it hasn’t really slowed us down,” said Slayton.
The Hilliard bridge project accounts for a little under 2 million of the 25.5 million budgeted for bridge repairs in the area. It is one of 17 bridges set to be replaced by the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Bootheel Bridge Bundle and is also included in Gov. Mike Parson’s Focus on Bridges program.
The work zone is marked with signs and the alternate detour route on Highway O is also marked for motorists. Detour routes and a video with improvement details can be watched at https://youtu.be/WchcYla12J8.
For more information on the design-build project visit, https://www.modot.org/bootheel-bridge-bundle or you can contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).