Dalles Bridge Deck Replacement The Dalles, Oregon

The demolition and replacement of existing bridge decking and railings were critical safety improvements needed for the Dalles Bridge, an important transportation connection for the Pacific Northwest. While utilizing accelerated bridge construction techniques, a unique hybrid management system embedded the Otak construction management and structural engineering teams into the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) offices to efficiently complete these updates.

Accelerated Bridge Construction to Update an Important Regional Transportation Connection

Originally constructed in 1953, the deck of the steel-truss-cantilever Dalles Bridge on U.S. 197 had degraded to the point of needing to be replaced. As an important connection between Washington and Oregon over the Colombia River, it’s an extremely visible and important project to keep goods and services moving in the region. To maintain traffic as much as possible during construction, an accelerated bridge construction approach avoided long-term closure of the busy bridge. Decking was pre-cast in an adjacent staging area, then moved to the bridge and installed per section as the old decking was cut, raised, and hauled away. Significant technological material improvements made use of ultra-high performance concrete and premixed polymer concrete overlay to complete the  project. The final configuration also increased sidewalk widths in accommodation of ADA compliant passing locations at intervals along the approach structure. In managing the project to completion the team performed RFI and submittal review while running weekly meetings. Inspections at two sites (in the casting yard and on the bridge) were completed while reviewing labor compliance, and performing detailed review of the project master schedule.