Bridge CR347-00.92 Replacement Over Wills Creek

Project Overview

Ribway provided engineering design services for the replacement of Bridge CR347-00.92, a critical infrastructure project in Guernsey County. The new Level II replacement structure is a 135-foot single-span steel truss bridge with a composite deck supported on drilled shafts and semi-integral abutments. The project required innovative solutions to address hydraulic, geotechnical, and right-of-way constraints.

Scope of Work

• Hydraulic Modeling: Conducted detailed analysis using HEC-RAS to model the existing and proposed bridges. Increased the hydraulic opening to improve waterway performance.
• Scour Protection: Designed deep sheet piling to safeguard abutments and approach embankments from severe scour during the 500-year flood event.
• Geotechnical Investigations: Determined unsuitable soil conditions and bedrock located 60-90 feet below grade, leading to the recommendation of deep drilled concrete shafts for foundation stability.
• Right-of-Way Constraints:
  • Constructed new abutments behind existing structures to prevent encroachment on the waterway.
  • Employed sheet piling and back-to-back tie rods to retain the roadway and ensure construction activities remained within the narrow right-of-way.

Design Approach

• Compliance and Coordination: Followed ODOT’s Project Development Process (PDP) and collaborated with Guernsey County and ODOT District 5 during various design phases.
• Design Challenges:
  • Obtained Design Exceptions for bridge and shoulder widths, as well as stopping sight distance.
  • Addressed environmental considerations with a Bridge Type Study and Environmental Assessment Report

Timeline

• Design Completion: December 2014
• Construction Completion: June 2016

Project Highlights

• Constructed a durable, hydraulically efficient bridge with minimal impact on the waterway and surrounding environment.
• Utilized innovative engineering techniques to overcome geotechnical and spatial challenges.
• Received a CES Rating of 71 under ODOT’s new evaluation system, reflecting high-quality design work.