The Little Suamico River Bridge provides passage for high volumes of traffic during summer months. It was deteriorating and nearing unsafe conditions for the traveling public. The two-lane, three-span structure required staged reconstruction during the winter months to prepare for a pavement replacement project in the spring. This posed many unique challenges and opportunities for innovation. In order to pour the bridge deck in the winter, the contractor had to schedule the pours when the weather was most favorable. They also had to heat the deck and underside of the bridge to warm the rebar and concrete. Once the deck was poured, they had to capture the heat and moisture in the concrete. Despite these factors, the team was able to complete the project ahead of schedule, under budget, and without any disturbances to the Little Suamico River.
KL’s Brett Vissers was the Project Leader, with support from Kevin Konyn and Ryan Umentum to provide the construction oversight for this project, which was a finalist for the 2023 WisDOT Outstanding Highway Construction Award for the Small Structure category. Congratulations to the contractor (Zenith Tech), WisDOT Northeast Region (Kurt Vogel and Brian Edwards), and the KL crew for expertly navigating this tricky project!
