Location: Montgomery County, Maryland

• 2009 Maryland Quality Initiative (MdQI) Award of Excellence for Consultant Structure Design
• 2008 County Project of the Year award from the County Engineers Association of Maryland

• This project presented numerous challenges that included lack of a detour route, a narrow clear bridge width and beam spacing that precluded staged construction, and the potential for costly right-of-way purchase and CSXT aerial easement.
• The cost-effective method that was selected to expedite the construction involved temporary MSE abutments constructed adjacent to the existing bridge on a parallel alignment. Prefabricated trusses were assembled on-site, and the superstructure was lifted into position on a temporary alignment. Traffic was routed onto the temporary bridge during demolition and construction of new permanent abutments. The new bridge was lifted from its temporary position to its permanent position on the original alignment.
• Utilizing this innovative construction scheme, bridge traffic was interrupted only twice for a total of 6.5 hours; access for emergency responders was guaranteed; and railroad flagging requirements were reduced by 20 percent.
• This concept of constructing one new superstructure reduced costs associated with a temporary bridge.
• The cost-effective solution precluded permanent right-of-way; it only required temporary easements, and no CSXT aerial easement.
• The unique techniques used in this project yielded a saving of 10 percent of a $2.3 million project.