In late 2016, Long Beach, Calif., began to consider building a new pedestrian bridge to connect its convention and performing arts centers.The original idea was to have a traditional concrete, elevated sidewalk between the two structures, spanning about 600 ft.
Fiber-reinforced polymer composites, high-performance concrete and other innovative materials and technologies appear to be fulfilling their promise to reduce infrastructure maintenance and life-cycle costs, and cut construction time, according to a recently released Transportation Research Board consensus study.
The distinctive 800-ft-long, 164-ft-tall “basket handle” true arches of the new Interstate 74 Mississippi River Bridge have yet to rise, but the $1.2-billion project connecting Moline, Ill., and Bettendorf, Iowa, has made significant progress since construction began in July 2017.
The team of Superior Construction Co. and WSP has been selected for the $90-million design-build replacement of the Interstate 20 bridges spanning the Augusta Canal and Savannah River on the Georgia-South Carolina border.
Bridging North America, a partnership of Fluor, ACS Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group, reached financial close late last month to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the 1.5-mile-long Gordie Howe International Bridge Project for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority under a 36-year, $4.4-billion concessionaire agreement.