View the progress when the Webster County Engineer’s Office undertook its’ largest ever bridge project!  In a joint effort with neighboring Hamilton County, a bridge over the Des Moines River was replaced.  The project begain in the fall of 2001.

Contents

Site Preparation

Removal of Existing Structure

Building the Substructure

Building the Superstructure

Finishing the Roadway

Project Overview

Two miles North of Stratford, Iowa is an area known to local citizens as “Bellville”.  This is the location of the former Bell’s Mill, as well as our project.   Thus, the project officially known as SBRFM-CO94(42)—5D-94 has become known as “The Bellville Bridge”.  The current Bellville Bridge is a 631 foot long steel high truss.  Built in 1937, the bridge has provided a crossing of the Des Moines River for many decades.  However, routine inspections have shown that the structure is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.  We hired a consulting engineering firm to design a new bridge.  Their proposal calls for a 652’-6” x 30’-0” six-span pretensioned prestressed concrete beam bridge.  A letting for construction bids was held through the Iowa Department of Transportation on November 6, 2001.  The winning bid was $1.628 million.  Construction is scheduled to begin the week of November 26.

Project Details

Project Number: SBRFM-CO94(42)—5D-94
FHWA Number: 341400
Total Project Length: .245 mi
Bridge Length: 652’-6”

Structure Type

Pretensioned Prestressed Concrete Beam Bridge
Span Lengths: 96’-6” & 111’-6”
Design Loading: HS20-44 Live Loading + 20psf
Contract Price: $1,627,999.14
Consulting Engineers: Shuck-Britson Inc.
Contracting Authority: Webster County

Inspectors

Jamie Johll, E.I.
John Moeller

General Contractor: A.M. Cohron & Son (Atlantic, IA)

Superintendent: Mike Barringer

Subcontractors

Thomas Construction (Lewis, IA)
United Rentals, Highway Technologies (Des Moines, IA)
West Central Construction (Arthur, IA)
Krishna Engineering Consultants Inc. (West Des Moines, IA)
Fort Dodge Asphalt Co. (Fort Dodge, IA)
Reilly Construction Co. (Ossian, IA)

Interesting Project Facts

  • There is over two miles of steel piling two be driven into the ground
  • Over 5000 tons of materials will be incorporated into the structure itself
  • A.M. Cohron has 5 cranes on the job; they range in size from 30 to 70 tons
  • Mick came back from his Hawaiian vacation with a shark that he caught!