Pamela Hutton, P.E., SHRP2 Implementation Manager, AASHTO; Mark Chase, P.E., Senior Vice President, AZTEC Engineering Group, Inc.

Webinar Documents:
SHRP2 Overview - pdf of presentation
Designer Perspective on Tackling ABC Projects, with Spotlight on SHRP2 R04 Gila River Project - pdf of presentation
Sacaton Road Bridge replacement time-lapse video - AZTEC Engineering on YouTube
Q&A Session - pdf
News - January 18, 2018 - pdf of presentation

Description: The Sacaton Road Bridge connects the Phoenix area with the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) in Arizona. Built in 1961, the bridge was frequently overtopped during rain events, and the community sought a new bridge to improve roadway safety and hydraulic capacity. The replacement was originally slated for conventional construction. During the design phase, the GRIC DOT received a grant from the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) to incorporate ABC technologies into the bridge replacement using the SHRP2 R04 toolkit and techniques. During construction of the $2.7-million bridge, the existing bridge remained open to traffic while the four superstructure units (two per span) were constructed adjacent to the existing bridge. The roadway was then closed, the old bridge demolished, and the new spans slid into place to form the new superstructure. Begun in October 2014, the accelerated methodology reduced the impact that construction had on traffic by 22 weeks. The bridge was closed for a total of nine days, compared to an estimated six-month closure for conventional construction. The presentation will include design and construction details as well as lessons learned.

Presentation Photos/Graphics:

1) The original bridge was constructed in 1961

2) Low-tech hydraulic slide system

3) Bridge slide operation and FHWA Showcase Event spectators

4) Completed bridge