J.R. Vinagro accepted the challenge of replacing Bridge 896 over Route 138 and resurfacing 6.5 miles of highway on Rt 1 (Tower Hill Rd) in North Kingstown. The replacement of this bridge involved replacing the superstructure and installing a new abutment for the bridge carrying Rt 1 over Route 138. The superstructure of the bridge was assembled adjacent to the existing bridge to maintain traffic. At the same time, the interchange ramps and Route 138 were rebuilt. Once the superstructure was ready, each side of the bridge was slid into place over two separate weekends using Self-Propelled Modular Transporters. Once the bridge reopened, JRV completed the paving, utility connection, etc., to reach substantial completion.
One of the challenges we encountered on this project was maintaining all lanes of traffic for the duration of the bridge build. We accomplished this by building the bridge superstructure on temporary supports adjacent to the existing bridge. Transporting the completed bridge decks with SPMTs added further difficulty, as strict timelines and scheduled road closures left no room for delay. We overcame this by carefully planning each step of the move, ensuring the entire bridge replacement (from demolition to final bridge paving) was completed within the allotted time so the roads could safely reopen as scheduled.
We overcame these challenges by tapping into the collective skills and experience that our staff has gained from similar projects. Through proper advance planning down to half-hour increments, we were able to perform the work safely and efficiently. Prior to the weekend bridge replacement, our survey section measured twice to ensure all bridge components were fabricated according to the plans. In addition, close coordination with subcontractors ensured smooth collaboration on site and allowed the project to move forward without conflict.