S.R. 99, Seattle: At the beginning of May, crews used a crane to begin lowering the first large pieces of the 7,000-ton tunnel-boring machine, nicknamed “Bertha,” into the 80-ft-deep launch pit where she’ll start tunneling this summer. First up: the trailing gear, which will serve as Bertha’s support system during tunneling by providing her with all of the equipment and materials she’ll need to bore the tunnel beneath downtown Seattle to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Reassembling the 326-ft-long machine’s 41 pieces and testing the completed machine will take two to three months. Bertha won’t officially become the property of Seattle Tunnel Partners, WSDOT’s contractor, until she has successfully tunneled approximately 1,000 ft beneath Seattle.
S.R. 520 Floating Bridge, Seattle: Six new S.R. 520 bridge pontoons floated out of the Aberdeen casting basin during a blustery rainstorm overnight April 28-29. It was the second cycle of pontoons built in Aberdeen and includes three 360-ft-long longitudinal pontoons, one cross pontoon and two smaller supplemental pontoons that provide stability and flotation for the new S.R. 520 floating bridge. Crews continue to assemble rebar for the pier columns within the cofferdam for Pier 1. In April, a 200-ft-tall tower crane was installed within the cofferdam to assist with project activities. On March 15, crews finished installing the last anchor needed for the new floating bridge. A total of 58 anchors will secure the pontoons for the new floating bridge.
St. Croix Crossing Bridge, Minn.-Wis.: The four-lane St. Croix Crossing Bridge will be only the second extradosed bridge in the U.S. The bridge replaces the historic 80-year-old Stillwater Lift Bridge with a new bridge connecting Oak Park Heights, Minn., and St. Joseph, Wis. Estimated to cost between $280 and $310 million, the new bridge is part of the larger St. Croix Crossing project, which includes highways on either side of the bridge in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Total cost for the entire St. Croix Crossing project is estimated at $580 to $676 million. The foundation contract is expected to be completed this winter. The remainder of the bridge design will be completed this summer, with construction to begin in fall 2013.
Port of Miami Tunnel, Miami: The 3?4-mile-long twin-bore tunnel will connect Watson Island to Dodge Island, providing a key link for traffic to the interstate highway system (I-395 and I-95) and to Miami Airport. Digging for the $1 billion project began in November 2011 and is scheduled for completion in August 2014. The eastbound tunnel-boring operation has been completed, and work is under way on fireproofing, mechanical and electrical work. The westbound tunnel-boring operation was 80% complete when President Barack Obama visited at the end of March and was expected to be completed by the end of April. Work on the bridge and roadway is continuing, as well as the construction of the ventilation buildings.
Ohio River Bridges, Ind.-Ky.: Construction of the East End Crossing of the Ohio River Bridges project commenced on May 28, after several months of site preparation and preconstruction activities. The more visible activity through the end of June will occur on the Kentucky side and will include excavation along S.R. 841 near U.S. 42. Work this summer also will include temporary pavement widening for upcoming traffic changes at S.R. 841 and U.S. 42, with completed traffic reconfiguration expected on approximately June 5. Work was scheduled to begin on May 29 to relocate five historic houses in the Old Jeffersonville Historic District in Indiana. The historic houses are being relocated to make room for the new bridges.
The Horseshoe, Dallas: This $798 million design-build project involves improvements to I-30 and I-35E in the Dallas area and construction of nine bridges over the Trinity River and Dallas Floodway. Dubbed “Horseshoe” because of its U shape, the four-year project began construction this year. On Saturday, April 27, officials and media joined the Texas DOT and Pegasus Link Constructors at a groundbreaking event to officially mark the start of the Horseshoe project. The project will ease traffic congestion, improve safety and enhance mobility between interstate highways 30 and 35E through downtown Dallas, the Mixmaster and the city’s central business district. The Horseshoe project is expected to finish in 2017.
Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (Q Bridge), New Haven, Conn.: Formally known as the I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program, the project includes construction of the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (Q-Bridge) carrying I-95 over the Quinnipiac River and the I-95/I-91/Rte. 34 interchange. The extradosed bridge will accommodate five travel lanes in each direction, as well as full inside and outside shoulders. Stay-in-place deck forms are being installed for the east and west approaches. Columns and pier caps are being constructed. Completion of the temporary crossover bridge for the west aproach is expected soon, as well as installation of the latex-modified concrete wearing course on both east and west approaches.
Mountain View Corridor, Salt Lake County, Utah: The Mountain View Corridor is a planned freeway, transit and trail system in western and northwestern Utah County, serving 13 municipalities. The Utah DOT is implementing Mountain View Corridor in phases as funding becomes available. Two sections of the 35-mile program have been completed: a 3-mile section was finished in fall 2011, and another 15 miles opened in December 2012. Construction cost to date is $301 million. To meet projected transportation demands in the year 2030, MVC will eventually be a 35-mile freeway from I-80 in Salt Lake to Main Street in Lehi. The full freeway will connect with I-80 at 5800 West in Salt Lake City in the north and I-15 at 2100 North in Lehi in the south.
