Lewis and Clark Bridge: U.S. 85 Over Missouri River
Williston, N.D.
Award of Merit

Owner: North Dakota Dept. of Transportation
Lead Design Firm & Structural, Civil Engineer: KLJ Engineering
General Contractor: Johnson Bros. Corp.
Subcontractors: Edling Electric Inc.; Grizzly Steel Inc.; Gerdau; Strata Engineering Inc.; Skyline Steel; Strata Concrete; Veritas Steel

The Lewis and Clark Bridge is the largest individual infrastructure project in North Dakota history. The $66.3-million structure replaces the two-lane Missouri River Bridge at U.S. Highway 85, which was functionally obsolete and structurally deficient. The bridge is located three miles south of Junction U.S. 2 near Williston, N.D., in McKenzie and Williams counties.

Work included a six-span, continuous-deck unit, nearly 1,522 ft long and 85 ft wide. The four-lane, high-level structure was accessed during construction using a temporary work trestle that supported 300-ton crawler cranes. The project also included a wildlife-relief bridge, nearly five miles of roadway widening and removal of the old bridge.

The construction team worked through the winter—nights, weekends and holidays—to install isolation coffer dams ahead of spawning season for the pallid sturgeon, an endangered species in the Missouri River.

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