After nearly a century of use, the Williams Creek Bridge was beyond the end of its service life and exhibited signs of significant structural fatigue. Worse, the bridge did not meet current safety and seismic standards and was unsafe for pedestrians.
Williams Creek Bridge Replacement
This Federally funded project replaced the existing bridge with a single span, 2-lane, cast-in-place, prestressed, voided concrete slab bridge with Type 80 Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) Barriers supported by PCC abutments and drive steel H-piles foundations over Williams Creek. The new bridge is 60 feet long and 36 feet wide, providing two 11-foot travel lanes, two 5-foot shoulders, and concrete bridge rails with tapered metal beam guard rail approaches.
Replacing the damaged bridge in the same alignment, over an active stream required cofferdam construction to keep water out while the abutment footings were excavated and constructed. Also, a detour was constructed that included a temporary railroad flatcar bridge to maintain traffic access. Lastly, installed a temporary diversion pipe with geotextile and washed rack to divert water around the worksite, allowing construction crews to work in the stream channel.
Aside from constructing the bridge, the contractor also completed grading to widen the roadway, grading in the stream channel, rock slope protection around the abutments, and graded stream channel to prevent erosion, revegetation planting, and roadway paving and striping.
Quality Management Throughout the Project
Ghirardelli’s Project Manager and Resident Engineer performed Structures Representative duties and oversaw the construction contract and provided roadway and structures engineering support. Prior to construction, our team reviewed project plans, documented existing site conditions, and held a pre-construction conference to discuss construction plans and operations. During construction, they administered the contract as the first point of contact with the contractor and County representative.
Our team, including the onsite inspector and office engineer, managed day-to-day operations and verified the project stayed on schedule, within budget, and complied with permit requirements. Inspectors also verified the project adhered to the plans, details, and all applicable specifications required to construct and administer the project. We carefully monitored the Contractor’s Traffic Control Plan and safety measures and implementation to ensure the project was constructed safely.
We prepared monthly progress reports to document activities performed during the month, anticipated activities for the following month, and provided budget status reports with expenditure projections for the following months. These reports were submitted with invoices and labor compliance documentation. Disputes and potential claims were prevented by partnering with and developing an effective working relationship with the Contractor.
