Benton CountyOre.
Including engineering and permitting, the project unfolded over …
From eyesore to bottomless culvert
While its history dates back to 1889, the bridge was built as a 25-foot-by-25-foot treated timber span in 1954. It had the unfortunate distinction of being listed on a website dedicated to ugly bridges.
“Our goal is to make repairs before they become an issue,” Wheeler says. “We wanted to replace it before it got on that closure list or weight limit list.”
After consulting with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Department of State Lands, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wheeler and his team decided that a culvert with reinforced concrete foundations was an acceptable alternative.
The department bought the multi-plate low-profile bottomless arch culvert from Contech Engineered Solutions LLC, a manufacturer of site solutions, including bridges and structures, stormwater management, pipe and drainage, erosion control, retaining walls, and wastewater treatment based in West Chester, Ohio. Available in spans up to 26 feet, the galvanized steel plates can be arranged into pipe, pipe-arch, horizontal and vertical ellipses, arches and underpasses, and bolted together in the field.
“We assembled several of these the last 10 years,” says Starha. “Our road maintenance department workers were trained and equipped to perform the task.”
The project took three weeks to complete at a cost of $240,000 compared to a traditional bridge replacement, which could have cost up to $600,000 even using county crews.
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