The 4-day/5-night (104-hour) full highway closure and traffic detour in March 2012 allowed the City’s contractor to install a new Hwy 213 bridge using a rapid bridge construction technique. This construction method:

• shortened the duration of project construction by approximately 6 months, and
• enabled the contractor to keep every Hwy 213 travel lane open in the daytime during all but 4-days of the construction process.

In contrast, if the Jughandle Project were to use a traditional staged bridge construction method, it would have required 12-16 months of continuous—24-hours a day/7-days a week—closures of at least two travel lanes on Hwy 213!

Rapid Bridge Construction
The City’s contractor began building the new Hwy 213 bridge next to the highway on a temporary support system, where its construction had little to no interference with traffic. By late March, the bridge was ready to move into its permanent position, and the contractor worked around the clock to complete its construction.

The four‐day/five‐night process began by removing an approximately 130‐foot long section of roadway on Hwy 213. This included excavating approximately 900 cubic yards of asphalt and between 6,000 and 8,000 cubic yards of material beneath it.

Next, the crew used rollers, threaded rods, and jacks to pull the bridge superstructure into position over the new permanent foundations. The contractor then used hydraulic jacks to uniformly lift and lower the bridge into place. The connection between the bridge and its supports was secured and the roadway paved, allowing vehicles to cross the new bridge within 48 hours of its installation.

A time lapse viedo of the bridge installation is available on the construction cam page.

More information
Travel on Hwy 213
Information for Bicyclists