RC109 NovDec 2023 - Magazine - Page 16
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
WELLSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, U.S.
WELLSBURG BRIDGE
THE NEW WELLSBURG BRIDGE crosses the Ohio River
to connect the cities of Wellsburg and Brilliant. The
new bridge connects Route 2 in West Virginia, near
Wellsburg, to Route 7 in Brilliant, Ohio, providing a
key and reliable artery for northern West Virginia and
eastern Ohio communities. The new bridge is owned
by West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) and
was constructed by Flatiron Construction. Project financing was made possible
through a public-private partnership (PPP), involving Flatiron, WVDOH, the Ohio
Department of Transportation, as well as Federal Highway Funds.
As a subconsultant to RS&H, COWI is the Engineer of Record for the design
of an 830-foot span network tied arch bridge across the Ohio River as part of
a Design-Build project. The bridge carries three lanes of traffic and a multiuse trail. The steel arch rib geometry is radial, as opposed to the traditional
parabolic curve, which provides a lower rise and more efficient shape when
combined with a network cable arrangement. The span was lifted onto two pairs
of barges and moved into position in a massive, 13-and-a-half-hour operation.
It was the largest bridge float-in project performed in North America. The bridge
was supported on the barges by eight sets of mega-jack towers. Once in place, it
was slowly jacked up until it was high enough to rest on the concrete piers.
Several Canadian offices of COWI contributed to the success of this
challenging project. Parts of the scope provided by COWI personnel in Canada
included the Service Life design, the design of several critical steel elements
of the bridge superstructure, and senior review for the substructure and
superstructure design. According to the Jorge Perez Armino, senior reviewer for
the project, based in Halifax, “The new Wellsburg Bridge is a great landmark,
a world-class bridge project that has greatly benefited from the cross-border
collaboration that COWI is able to offer to all of our clients in North America.”
The Wellsburg Bridge is expected to have several benefits for the communities
it connects. It will reduce travel time between Wellsburg and Brilliant, stimulate
economic development in the area, provide a new river crossing for commerce,
and offer an alternative route across the river if maintenance work needs to be
done on nearby bridges.
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RENEW CANADA – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
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