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2010 Top 10 Nominee “Reconstructing the 24th Street Bridge was a critical component of the Council Bluffs Project. The area around the 24th Street Interchange is a major retail, entertainment and convention destination, as well as an important link for the trucking industry. The primary goals of this project were to minimize disruption to the traveling public during the reconstruction of the bridge, enhance safety during and after construction, and complete construction in a single season, and all of these goals were met.” Innovative design, creative contracting and accelerated construction techniques kept one of the busiest interchanges in the mid-American heartland open while drastically expanding its capacity. The replacement of the 24th Street Bridge is the first in a series of multi-state efforts to improve the capacity of the interstate system in the Council Bluffs area. The interchange serves major attractions in a growing metropolitan area while serving as a key junction of East-West Interstate 80 and North-South Interstate 29. Heavy daily traffic created by the combined effects of a vibrant local economy and a major interstate interchange meant that this area had to remain open during construction. A project of this magnitude is typically constructed over two consecutive construction seasons, but due to the critical location of this interchange, traffic restrictions on 24th Street had to be limited to a single season. The use of precast concrete deck panels and cost-plus-time bidding cut construction duration in half while assuring the lowest price, and well-planned construction staging and intelligent transportation systems ensured that traffic capacity was maintained throughout the process. The 24th Street Bridge was successfully completed in a single construction season, minimizing effects on the surrounding community and businesses. Coordination among the Iowa DOT, designer, local contractors and fabricators was key to developing an economical design that could be constructed under an accelerated time frame. The primary goals of this project were to minimize disruption to the traveling public during the reconstruction of the 24th Street Bridge, improve long-term durability, enhance safety during and after construction, and complete construction in a single season. All of these goals were met. |
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America's Transportation Awards 