Wilson Creek Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Wilson Creek Bridge (also known as the Smart Road Bridge) is the tallest bridge in Virginia
at 175 feet (53 m) tall, the second tallest being the Varina-Enon Bridge over the James River
between Henrico County
and Chesterfield County
at 150 feet (46 m) tall.
The Wilson Creek Bridge is located in Montgomery County
and was built as part of the Virginia Smart Road
project. It is a cast-in-place cantilever
box girder bridge
and extends for 1985 feet (605 m) with three spans of 472 feet (144 m) and two spans of 283 feet (86 m).
The bridge was designed by Florida
-based Figg Engineering Group and built by PCL Civil Constructors Inc., a subsidiary of PCL Constructors Inc.
at a cost of US$17.4 million. The bridge design is the same genre as the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge
. The bridge is composed of four double-tapered piers
with stone inlay, two conventional abutments, and 100 cast-in-place segments
. After review of the bridge design by the construction firm, the segments were changed from 4.5 m to 5 m segments, deleting 35 segments from the critical path of construction. The bridge was completed on May 30, 2001.
The cast-in-place structure consists of 9647 cubic yards (7,376 m³) of concrete, 1565321 pounds (710,018 kg) of reinforcing steel, and 780900 pounds (354,210 kg) of steel cables.
's Excellence in Highway Design Awards, Category 3A: Major Highway Structures Over $10 Million. The bridge also received an award that year from the Concrete Reinforced Steel Institute, the only 2002 award-winner east of the Mississippi River
.
The bridge is hollow. Beneath the riding surface, the box girders are open with a width of 18 feet (5 m) and a height which varies from 12 feet (4 m) to 35 feet (11 m). Power and communication lines are carried in the hollow concrete box and run the length of the bridge. Manhole
s in the bridge deck allow researchers to enter the box to monitor testing equipment.
The support structure of the bridge is inlaid with Hokie Stone
to blend in with the environment and meld with the architectural stylings of Virginia Tech.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
at 175 feet (53 m) tall, the second tallest being the Varina-Enon Bridge over the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
between Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
at 150 feet (46 m) tall.
The Wilson Creek Bridge is located in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 83,629 people, 30,997 households, and 17,203 families residing in the county. The population density was 215 people per square mile . There were 32,527 housing units at an average density of 84 per square mile...
and was built as part of the Virginia Smart Road
Virginia Smart Road
The Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway, is a short, limited access road in Montgomery County, Virginia used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies. The Smart Road is currently a stretch of road...
project. It is a cast-in-place cantilever
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
box girder bridge
Box girder bridge
A box girder bridge is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder normally comprises either prestressed concrete, structural steel, or a composite of steel and reinforced concrete. The box is typically rectangular or trapezoidal in cross-section...
and extends for 1985 feet (605 m) with three spans of 472 feet (144 m) and two spans of 283 feet (86 m).
Construction
Construction began in August 1998.The bridge was designed by Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-based Figg Engineering Group and built by PCL Civil Constructors Inc., a subsidiary of PCL Constructors Inc.
PCL Construction
The PCL family of companies is the largest general contracting organization in Canada and the sixth largest in the US. The organization is active in the commercial, institutional, multi-family residential, heavy industrial and civil construction sectors. The company's North American Headquarters...
at a cost of US$17.4 million. The bridge design is the same genre as the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge
Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge
The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge is a concrete double arch bridge located in Williamson County, Tennessee, from the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is long and carries the two-lane Natchez Trace Parkway over State Route 96 and a heavily wooded valley...
. The bridge is composed of four double-tapered piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
with stone inlay, two conventional abutments, and 100 cast-in-place segments
Segmental bridge
As its name implies, a segmental bridge is a bridge built in short sections , i.e., one piece at a time, as opposed to traditional methods that build a bridge in very large sections...
. After review of the bridge design by the construction firm, the segments were changed from 4.5 m to 5 m segments, deleting 35 segments from the critical path of construction. The bridge was completed on May 30, 2001.
The cast-in-place structure consists of 9647 cubic yards (7,376 m³) of concrete, 1565321 pounds (710,018 kg) of reinforcing steel, and 780900 pounds (354,210 kg) of steel cables.
Awards
In 2002, the bridge received an honorable mention in the Federal Highway AdministrationFederal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
's Excellence in Highway Design Awards, Category 3A: Major Highway Structures Over $10 Million. The bridge also received an award that year from the Concrete Reinforced Steel Institute, the only 2002 award-winner east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Unique Features
The cast-in-place cantilever box girder bridge design is the only one of its kind in Virginia.The bridge is hollow. Beneath the riding surface, the box girders are open with a width of 18 feet (5 m) and a height which varies from 12 feet (4 m) to 35 feet (11 m). Power and communication lines are carried in the hollow concrete box and run the length of the bridge. Manhole
Manhole
A manhole is an opening used to gain access to sewers or other underground structures, usually for maintenance.Manhole may also refer to:* Manhole , a metal band from Los Angeles* The Manhole, a computer game...
s in the bridge deck allow researchers to enter the box to monitor testing equipment.
The support structure of the bridge is inlaid with Hokie Stone
Hokie Stone
Hokie Stone is a grey dolomite limestone named for the Hokie mascot of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where the stone is the primary finishing material on campus buildings. Hokie Stone is limestone infused with magnesium and calcium under intense pressure and temperature....
to blend in with the environment and meld with the architectural stylings of Virginia Tech.
