A new bridge replacement technology that
makes road construction safer and more efficient was used on a
major project in the United States for the first time recently on
Ranger North’s I-4 widening job in Volusia County, Florida.
(See
video clips.)
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A Mammoet crew lifts a section of the old bridge,
above, then rolls it to a nearby staging
area, below, for demolition.
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Below: Ranger North Project
Manager Ponch Frank, left, updates Vice President Mark
Veillette as a bridge move is readied. |
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Instead of weeks-long lane closures while the
Graves Ave. bridge was demolished and rebuilt in place by bridge
subcontractor Leware Construction, the old spans were removed and
new spans put in place in four overnight operations. The actual
moves took only 20 minutes each, with rolling roadblocks
minimizing traffic disruption.
The longer replacement bridge was built in a
staging area at the exit for nearby Saxon Boulevard, then
moved
into place using the same self-propelled module transport (SPMT)
system, a series of multi-axle hydraulic lifts computerized to
work in unison. Ranger subcontracted with European heavy transport
company Mammoet to perform the bridge-moving operations.
The advanced technology, developed overseas,
allows fewer lane closures and traffic shifts, shortens the
overall project schedule, and is safer and more convenient for
motorists and workers.
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