a new dawn for bridge building

[erial]

Saw this in News of the Weird, but google turns up additional reports and video on the achievement:


Traditional bridge replacement on as prominent a highway as Interstate 15 in Mesquite, Nev., has generally required rerouting traffic for as long as a year, but the new "accelerated" technology in January necessitated detours for less than a week. Excited engineers traveled in from around the country to watch the old bridge be demolished and the new one (which had been built on a platform off to the side) be slid into place using hydraulic jacks and Teflon-coated metal beams -- lubricated with Dawn dishwashing detergent to glide them smoothly into the old frame. The Nevada Department of Transportation estimated that the accelerated process saved commuters about $12 million in time and fuel costs.

[Scott Card]

The I-15 core project in Utah County has done at least 2-3 of these in the past 2 years. Pretty amazing stuff.

[double moo]

The I-15 core project in Utah County has done at least 2-3 of these in the past 2 years. Pretty amazing stuff.

Many more than that... I believe there were 7 on the I-80 segment alone, more up Parley's, add several on 215 and the huge ones in Utah county. Moreover here in this area I would say it is becoming the new norm for bridges. It's very cool to see if you have the time.