When an ice jam overtoppled on to a bridge on Highway 11 near the Niobrara River in 2019, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) had to work quickly to address the issues and restore travel to this community. This was an $8 million collaborative effort between NDOT, Kiewit Construction, and HDR Engineering. With a third of the bridge pushed 18 inches downstream, the parties worked together to remove, replace and repair sections of the bridge girder and sections of steel that were bent were lifted and brought back to their original condition. Hydraulic rams were also used to move the bridge, which could only move the sections four inches at a time. Concrete piers were replaced before the straightened bridge was lowered back into place. The collaborative and innovate effort allowed for the work to done quickly, opening up this main connector to the community in no time.
America's Transportation Awards 