Big R Bridge Speeds Construction of River Crossing

Big R Bridge recently fabricated a 378-foot railroad bridge to cross the South Platte River near Denver, CO, as an integral part of The Globeville Area Flood Control Project. Denver's Globeville neighborhood was settled in 1886 by German and Polish immigrants, who came to the area to work at the new smelter. The workers named their community after their employer, the Globe Smelting and Refining Co.

Work on this final phase of the project began with Littleton-based prime contractor, Lawrence Construction Co., driving piling and channeling the river's modest seasonal flow to the north so that excavation could begin for utility relocation. Replacement of the Denver Rock Island Railroad bridge and the 36-inch-diameter, non-potable water line began concurrently, with piers for both lines being formed and poured while the lines were still in service.

"We were only allowed to have the rail line out of service for as short a time as possible," says a Lawrence representative. "For that reason, the new bridge was designed to be steel and fabricated in sections off-site for us to set and join. Steel stringers would allow for the strength needed without taking the depth below deck that would be necessary with other designs, such as pre-stressed or post-tensioned concrete girders."

The 14 bridge modules (seven spans) were prefabricated off-site at Big R's production facility in Greeley, CO and transported to the project site by tractor-trailer. It took Lawrence's crews only 10 days to remove the old bridge and install the new one, complete with new track. The old bridge had 20 wooden piers and was prone to blockages. The new bridge has six round concrete piers providing a wider river opening, with greater flow capacity.

Billed as the single largest flood control project ever undertaken by either Urban Drainage and Flood Control District or City and County of Denver, the initiative: rehabilitated 7,000 feet of the River's channel; removed 300 acres of highly-urbanized land from the FEMA-designated 100-year floodplain by lowering the riverbed between six and eight feet, and; improved the recreational usage of the corridor while enhancing wetland habitat.

©2010 Big R Bridge • Greeley, Colorado • 1-800-234-0734
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