Page 14 - July/Aug 2015 Vol. 33 No. 2
P. 14
Davidson & Williamson counties Michael A. Flatt, PE & Ted A. Kniazewycz, PE
A New Bridge Over Otter Creek
A high-traffic, two-lane crossing pro- The main goal of this
viding an east-west connection from the Accelerated Bridge
southwest section of Davidson and Wil-
liamson counties into Brentwood and In- Construction project was
terstate 65, the existing bridge over Otter to significantly reduce the
Creek had become structurally deficient
and functionally obsolete after more than impact to the motoring
50 years of heavy use. Too narrow for the public. By replacing this
traffic it was carrying, the deteriorating bridge in a single weekend
concrete overpass was on the Tennessee closure, we accomplished
Department of Transportation’s list to be
upgraded as a repair project. that key objective.
Having worked together on multiple
projects, TDOT solicited GS&P’s guidance
in determining the most feasible approach
for repairing the aging structure. After
close collaboration with the Department
regarding the bridge’s current condition
and the possibilities for rehabilitation,
GS&P advised that the timeworn cross-
ing was beyond repair, and that replacing
the portion of the bridge that supported
the deck was the only viable option. This
would involve removing the existing deck,
beams and piers, and replacing them with
a new single-span superstructure.
Planning the Replacement
Because of the high volume of traffic
along this stretch of Old Hickory Bou-
levard (SR 254) that often carries up to
30,000 cars per day, GS&P began explor-
ing alternatives for the most effective and
expeditious means of carrying out the
complex bridge repairs. The team ulti-
mately advised that Accelerated Bridge
Construction (ABC)—a process new
to TDOT which dramatically reduces
the time to complete a project as well as
long-term inconvenience to motorists—
provided the best solution. This short-
term, total closure of a 1-mile section
of Old Hickory Boulevard would allow
crews to carry out their work around the
clock without being encumbered by road
traffic.
To be completed within a single week-
end, the fast-tracked design-build project
included minimal roadway widening,
substructure modifications, and full
superstructure replacement and widening
for the existing two-span bridge. Along
with significantly reducing the project’s
schedule—one weekend as opposed to
three months that a more traditional
14 TPW July/August 2015
A New Bridge Over Otter Creek
A high-traffic, two-lane crossing pro- The main goal of this
viding an east-west connection from the Accelerated Bridge
southwest section of Davidson and Wil-
liamson counties into Brentwood and In- Construction project was
terstate 65, the existing bridge over Otter to significantly reduce the
Creek had become structurally deficient
and functionally obsolete after more than impact to the motoring
50 years of heavy use. Too narrow for the public. By replacing this
traffic it was carrying, the deteriorating bridge in a single weekend
concrete overpass was on the Tennessee closure, we accomplished
Department of Transportation’s list to be
upgraded as a repair project. that key objective.
Having worked together on multiple
projects, TDOT solicited GS&P’s guidance
in determining the most feasible approach
for repairing the aging structure. After
close collaboration with the Department
regarding the bridge’s current condition
and the possibilities for rehabilitation,
GS&P advised that the timeworn cross-
ing was beyond repair, and that replacing
the portion of the bridge that supported
the deck was the only viable option. This
would involve removing the existing deck,
beams and piers, and replacing them with
a new single-span superstructure.
Planning the Replacement
Because of the high volume of traffic
along this stretch of Old Hickory Bou-
levard (SR 254) that often carries up to
30,000 cars per day, GS&P began explor-
ing alternatives for the most effective and
expeditious means of carrying out the
complex bridge repairs. The team ulti-
mately advised that Accelerated Bridge
Construction (ABC)—a process new
to TDOT which dramatically reduces
the time to complete a project as well as
long-term inconvenience to motorists—
provided the best solution. This short-
term, total closure of a 1-mile section
of Old Hickory Boulevard would allow
crews to carry out their work around the
clock without being encumbered by road
traffic.
To be completed within a single week-
end, the fast-tracked design-build project
included minimal roadway widening,
substructure modifications, and full
superstructure replacement and widening
for the existing two-span bridge. Along
with significantly reducing the project’s
schedule—one weekend as opposed to
three months that a more traditional
14 TPW July/August 2015
