An Acrow prefabricated modular steel bridge is minimizing work zone impact during major highway construction in Camden County, New Jersey
A temporary detour bridge is providing a cost-effective solution to maintain local traffic flow during bridge replacement project
Acrow, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, recently designed and supplied a modular steel bridge to maintain traffic flow during a section of the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) I-295 Direct Connect project in Camden County, New Jersey.
The Direct Connect initiative is designed to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion at the intersection of I-295 with I-76 and Route 42 by providing a new direct passage for I-295 through traffic. Acrow’s structure is serving as a detour over a dozen lanes of I-295 and Route 42 during the replacement of the Browning Road Bridge. The bridge replacement is necessary as the roadway below will be widened ahead of the overhead placement of the new core I-295 roadway.
A safe, reliable temporary detour structure was considered critical to the success of the Browning Road project. In addition to heavy local vehicular traffic, the route provides access to a local school and serves as the main coastal evacuation route for the region. Utilities, which had been carried by the old bridge, also needed to be safely and reliably supported by an interim solution to avoid any interruption to critical services such as electric, gas, telecommunications and water. The two-lane bridge provided by Acrow is 450 feet long in two spans of 240 feet and 210 feet, with a roadway width of 24 feet to maintain two-way traffic on Browning Road. There are cantilevered footwalks on each side of the structure, one for pedestrians and one to carry utilities. Spanning two main highways, the bridge was assembled in sections and installed with a full cantilever launch assisted with a large D8 pushing dozer.
The contractor for this phase of the Direct Connect program is South State, Inc., with Dewberry serving as design engineer. It is anticipated the temporary bridge will be in place for two years until completion of the new bridge.
“In recent years, we have seen an increase in the use of our bridges for detour applications during planned construction projects,” said Eugene Sobecki, Director National Sales & Military Business Development. “Available for rent or purchase, Acrow’s modular steel bridges provide an excellent solution for state DOTs and contractors needing reliable, cost-effective detour solutions to keep projects on or ahead of schedule.”
“We are pleased to have been selected to be a part of this important upgrade to New Jersey’s transportation infrastructure,” added Bill Killeen, Acrow CEO. “In addition to increasing safety and convenience for motorists, these critical infrastructure projects are integral to the economic health of the region and play an important role in ensuring our roads and bridges can be rapidly and cost-effectively rehabilitated through Accelerated Bridge Construction to save time and money.”
About Acrow
Acrow has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 70 years with a wide range of modular steel bridging solutions for permanent, temporary, military and emergency use. Acrow’s extensive international presence includes leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 150 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.
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