Precise planning was required for this job, as the installation required crossing eleven railroad tracks. The railroad authorities gave an eight-hour work window to complete the entire installation of the bridge.
The 76m prefabricated bridge was pre-assembled, welded together and given a concrete walking surface. Once on site, Mammoet’s team used eight 500t Mega Jacks to hoist the bridge close to 7m in the air to allow for the installation of SPMTs for transportation. Through this method, the bridge’s centre of gravity remained low while traversing the tracks.
A combination of wooden and steel mats was used to safely cross the railroad tracks and ensure there was no load bearing directly on them, as this could potentially damage the highly trafficked tracks.
Once the transportation phase of the project was completed, the bridge was jacked-down into its final installation location. It took Mammoet just under five hours to install the bridge and remove the 64 axle-lines of SPMT.
The bridge is scheduled to open in early 2021 and will connect the America the Beautiful Park to southwest downtown.