Preparing for traffic to cross the new bridge

From ODOT - When the new southbound Interstate 5 Willamette River Bridge opens later this summer, it will temporarily carry all I-5 traffic until the new northbound bridge is completed.

In addition to completing the bridge, our focus is also now on the related improvements needed before traffic is switched over.

The original bridge had two southbound traffic lanes, with narrow shoulders that did not meet today’s safety standards. The new southbound bridge will accommodate up to three traffic lanes and wider shoulders in its final configuration, with two lanes in each direction during construction of the new northbound bridge.

To connect the existing I-5 travel lanes with the new bridge, the lanes must be widened and the shoulders rebuilt. Then, new stripes must be added to both the lanes and shoulders to temporarily direct northbound and southbound traffic across the southbound bridge.

Work on the lanes north of the Willamette River Bridge is nearly complete. Contractors used reinforced concrete here for the travel lanes rather than asphalt, because concrete is more durable. Asphalt paving will be placed on the shoulders, finished with shoulder aggregate on the outside edges.

Other lane work remains before the new bridge opens to traffic. The lanes connecting the main span to I-5 south of Franklin Boulevard will also be widened and repaved. Rebuilding the traffic lanes on the north and south ends of the bridge is one of the final steps before opening.

A lot of concrete, rebar and other materials

From ODOT- Have you ever wondered about the amount of material it takes to construct a new bridge, especially one as large as the new southbound Willamette River Bridge?

Visitors on the project tours often ask this question. Here’s the answer.

The finished portion of the bridge will be made up of 2.7 million pounds of rebar and 7,300 cubic yards of concrete. Rebar is used to add tensile strength to concrete. It is usually made of carbon steel, and has ridges for better anchoring into the concrete.

The rebar ranges from as small as 1/2 inch in diameter up to 2.25 inches. It is labor intensive to install and link all that rebar together before the concrete can be poured.

More steel and a lot of wood was needed to build the work bridge in the river and the supports and wooden falsework where the rebar is installed and concrete poured to build the new bridge. About 14 million pounds of steel was used to drive the piles supporting the work bridge and to support the wooden falsework use to form the bridge arches. The amount of wood used on the work bridge and falsework exceeds 2 million board feet and includes 2-by-4’s, 8-by-8’s and many sheets of plywood.

The crew building the bridge used these materials to create the arches you now see spanning the river and the bridge supports and beams south of Franklin Boulevard.

On a side note, the web cam is operational again, check it out.