Colorado DOT Selects Temporary Acrow Bridge for Use in I-25 Expansion Project

PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwired - Jan 26, 2017) - Acrow Bridge, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, announced that it has designed and delivered a temporary bridge to the Colorado DOT (CDOT) to be used during the replacement of the two bridges on I-25 at Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. The project is part of a larger project to widen I-25 to six lanes along the 14 miles between Longmont and Fort Collins.

Rapid growth along I-25 between Denver and Fort Collins has led to severe traffic congestion along the corridor, causing north Colorado businesses to lose an estimated $56 million annually, according to Weld County officials. The area near the Crossroads Boulevard intersection continues to experience economic development, and it is expected the improvements will provide better access to existing businesses and spur future development.

The traffic was diverted to the temporary bridge in November 2016 as the existing northbound bridge is demolished and rebuilt. It is anticipated that in May 2017 the temporary bridge will be used for southbound traffic while the existing span is demolished and rebuilt, with the original traffic configuration expected to resume in October 2017.

The two-lane rental bridge, 110-feet-long by 30-feet-wide, was offered to CDOT as an alternative construction option to building a concrete detour lane that would need to be demolished at a later date in the project. Another unusual aspect to the job is the use of bridge abutments that are GRS type/TENSAR baskets. The lower-cost materials, reduced labor needed and the use of lightweight installation equipment offered an economical alternative to more traditional structures.

The design engineer was John Bain, Chief Engineer at Acrow Bridge, and the abutment was designed by Robert Oddo of Oddo Engineering. Ralph L. Wadsworth of Colorado is the contractor for the $22.1 million project.

"It was very gratifying to be a part of this critical infrastructure project in a high-growth, high-density area of Colorado," said Tom Pinder, Western US Sales Manager and National Sales Manager for Heavy Bridging at Acrow Bridge. Added Bill Killeen, President and CEO of Acrow Bridge, "This project is a great example of how Acrow modular systems offer creative bridging solutions and provide value to contractors and government agencies alike."

About Acrow Bridge
Acrow Bridge has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 60 years with a full line of modular steel bridging solutions for vehicle, rail, vessel, military and pedestrian use. Acrow's extensive international presence includes its leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 80 countries, covering Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.