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Walsh Makes Progress on ODOT’s I-480 Valley View Bridges By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT
ODOT photo
Solid progress is being made on the multiyear $227 million, design-build I-480 Valley View bridges deck replacement project in northeast Ohio, an Ohio Department of Transportation initiative that began in November 2017 and will be completed by June 30, 2024. The initiative — constructionequipmentguide.com/walsh-construction-leads-major227m-i-480-bridge-work/40176 — also includes the construction of a new east-west bridge between the two existing bridges that will ultimately carry two lanes in each direction. The contract, awarded to Walsh Construction Company, is re-decking and renovating the twin bridges (in Cuyahoga County, four lanes in each direction) that link Valley View with Independence, which spans the Cuyahoga River, Ohio and Erie Canal, and CSX rail lines, as well as crossing Canal Road, West Canal Road, and the Ohio/Erie Towpath Trail. The two bridges, constructed in 1975 and opened to traffic two years later, are steel multistringer highway girder types that are 212 ft. above Solid progress is being made on the multi-year $227 million, design-build I-480 the river. The longest span Valley View bridges deck replacement project in northeast Ohio. is 300 ft. long. Up to 180,000 cars and trucks while the old westbound bridge deck is 2020 under the eastbound bridge. Concrete cross the bridges daily, replaced. That deck replacement also will barriers on the bridges separate the traffic ODOT photo take one year. In fall of 2022 traffic will from equipment and workers. and traffic volumes are not expected to change with In August, crews began installing stay-in-place forms in return to its original configuration, as it is The job is being done with crews putting preparation for bridge deck pours. new bridge construction. today, so that a middle divider can be added in 10 to 12-hour shifts, sometimes six days a “The new bridge is expected to be used in to the new bridge to separate traffic.” At more than 40 years old, the lifespan of week. John Tracy, Walsh’s project manager the decks has been maximized and are show- fall of 2021,” said Amanda McFarland, Last spring saw the start of the steel erec- is overseeing the work. He is assisted by Northeast Ohio Public Information Officer, tion for the new bridge, which led to four Shawn Thompson, CH2M, design project ing their age. Crews have been busy working on the ODOT Office of Communications. “That’s lanes on the east and westbound bridges to manager, and Tom Bolte, B&N Independent new center bridge and according to ODOT, when eastbound traffic on the current bridge be shifted to the right to accommodate the Design quality manager. 90 percent of the substructure and 75 percent will shift to the new one to allow the old many heavy pieces of construction equipSubstructure work continues through the of girder erection have been completed, with eastbound bridge deck to be replaced. That ment — an arrangement that will remain in winter months into early next year and steel the remainder to be completed by the end of will take about a year to complete. In fall place until next fall. The work platform will erection is scheduled to begin in late winter. spring. Walsh plans for bridge deck pours, to 2021, traffic will be shifted again. The west- be placed under the existing bridges, with Work to be completed in 2020 includes: bound traffic will then use the new bridge the first work platform scheduled to go up in be complete next summer. see BRIDGE page 6