Summer recap: Large jaws make quick work of old bridge

By Tom Hein 
Wichita Public Affairs Manager

Have you ever wondered what goes into demolishing a bridge?

Using machinery that resembles Jurassic Period predators, a deconstruction crew removed a 1960s era bridge over I-235 in north Wichita earlier this summer, which required a weekend shut down of a 3-mile section. 

The removal of the bridge makes way for continuous auxiliary lanes between North Meridian Avenue and Broadway. 

The section of I-235 under construction is also part of K-96

A 1960s era bridge was demolished over I-235 in north Wichita earlier this summer. 

To protect I-235 from the heavy equipment used for the demolition, a dirt cushion was placed over the concrete lanes. After the bridge was down, removing the debris took several hours as concrete and steel were separated and hauled away.

To protect the road surface from the heavy equipment a dirt cushion was placed over the concrete lanes.

Dirt was also removed from the bridge abutments and will be used to construct the new ramps at the I-235 and Broadway interchange.

In order to construct new ramps at the I-235 and Broadway interchange, dirt had to be removed. 

The average daily traffic for this area is between 45,000 and 52,000 vehicles per day.

The Green Project is the first phase of the Wichita North Junction reconstruction.

To find out more about the project, see the Green Project fact sheet here  .

 A fact sheet for the North Junction phases can be found here 

KDOT program will replace, rehabilitate deficient bridges on local road system

Above, Secretary Julie Lorenz and below, Craig

Cox, President of Kansas Association of Counties and

Riley County Deputy Counselor, spoke about benefits

of the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program

to cities and counties at the event announcing

the reinstatement of the program.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has reinstated a popular program designed to help replace and rehabilitate city and county deficient bridges. KDOT Secretary Julie Lorenz announced the program Aug. 7 at an event in Butler County joined by leaders from the Kansas Association of Counties, the Kansas County Highway Association and the Kansas Contractors Association.

 The Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program is a $5 million state-funded program that helps cities and counties by providing up to $150,000 toward the replacement or rehabilitation of a bridge on the local roadway system. To qualify, bridges must be rated as deficient, have a daily vehicle count of less than 100 and be 20 to 50 feet in length. Cities and counties can garner an additional $50,000 by closing a deficient bridge. Local jurisdictions that are awarded funds must provide a 10 percent match.

“Kansas’ local road system is critical for getting people and goods where they need to go,” said Gov. Laura Kelly regarding the program. “I’m pleased to see state and local government working together and combining resources to replace aging infrastructure - creating healthier communities and economies.”

Funding for the program is part of the $216 million in sales tax authorized by Gov. Kelly to remain in the state highway fund in fiscal year 2020. Those funds will be used to increase highway preservation, help complete delayed T-WORKS projects, improve safety and provide new funding opportunities for cities and counties.                               

“This was a popular program when it was offered in 2014 and I’m very happy that we’re able to bring it back,” said Secretary Lorenz. “Reinstating the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program was one of the top recommendations coming out of last year’s Joint Legislative Vision Task Force and is a great way for us to work together with cities and counties to address needed improvements.”

There are approximately 19,000 bridges on Kansas’ local road systems. About 20 percent – or 3,800 -- of those bridges are in poor condition – or unable to meet today’s weight and vehicle requirements.

Under the previous program, 110 bridges were replaced or permanently closed during the two years it operated.

“The counties are excited and appreciative of this new bridge replacement program,” said Justin Mader, Saline County Engineer and president of the Kansas County Highway Association. “It will be good for agriculture, good for safety, will put construction workers to work and boost the Kansas economy while building and rehabilitating bridges that will benefit Kansas for decades into the future.”

Applications will be accepted through mid-September and KDOT will select projects in early October. Details are posted on KDOT’s website and can be seen at the links below:

Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program

Guidelines

Fact Sheet

Application

Reimbursement request form

 

Mighty Sampson of the Cimarron stands tall

The Mighty Sampson of the Cimarron is a bridge that stands tall in Seward County. 

Built in 1888, the Rock Island Railway put Seward County and Liberal on the map.  The railroad stretched over the plains, providing Kansas with a gateway to the rest of the world and transporting goods in and out of southwest Kansas.  In stark contrast to the drought ridden plains and dry river beds common in southwest Kansas today, the Cimarron River, located between Kismet and Liberal, presented a problem for the railroad when it was built.  

The sand-choked, low lying creek was prone to flooding during heavy rainfalls.  The initial crossing was built near the town of Arkalon, where trains slowed to 30 mph to navigate the 3.5 miles of curves and trestles crossing the river. 

In 1937, floods washed out the first of three bridges built to cross the river.  The bridge was rebuilt in the same place, but on Aug. 18, 1938, the “Gold Ball” freight train proceeded across the bridge following a heavy rainfall.  Halfway across, the bridge, weakened by heavy rainfall and turbulent waters, disappeared and dropped the train and crew into the river.  

Floods washed out bridges in 1937 and the Gold Ball freight train attempted to cross the river but fell into the waters killing two and injuring four men. Thirty train cars sank to the bottom of the river. Courtesy photo from the Kansas Historical Society. 

Two men were killed, four men were injured and 30 train cars and the engine sank into the river.  Repairs began immediately, but on Sept. 5 the Cimarron flooded again and destroyed the Arkalon bridge for the second time.  While no trains or freight were lost, John Farrington, Chief Operating Officer for Rock Island, made the radical decision to reroute the railroad. He also decided to build a state-of-the-art bridge at a cost of $1.5 million, an unthinkable amount in 1938.

Plans to build a new bridge were developed after floods weakened the old bridges
Photo Courtesy of the Kansas Historical Society.

In late September 1938, work began on the new bridge.  Over the next 10 months, crews moved five million cubic yards of earth to build the approaches for the new crossing. Caison-sunk concrete piers, built in the art deco style of the period, were placed on foundation 65 feet below the riverbed.  By the summer of 1939, steelwork was being built and the actual bridge spans began taking shape some 92 feet above the river bed. 

On July 8, 1939, at 2:35 p.m., Rock Island train #13 was the first to cross the new bridge.  According to Lidia Gray-Hook with the Seward County Historical Society, the bridge was completed just in time to provide the U.S. with a safe transportation system for supplies during World War II.  In fact, the bridge was so important to the U.S. that is was closely guarded during the war to prevent sabotage.

A close up view of this 80 year-old bridge.  Courtesy Photo.

Today, 80 years later, the Mighty Sampson of the Cimarron still stands, and is a majestic marvel that can be viewed by passersby on U.S. 54. 

Work on K-18 and U.S. 77 in Geary County is close to completion

K-18 bridge over U.S. 77 looking west.

The K-18 and U.S. 77 interchange is now 77 percent complete and is anticipated to be open to unrestricted traffic by June 29, weather permitting.  The box culvert shown below is half complete, with another section to be completed to the right. While this is taking place, work will begin on the bridge approach connecting these two sections of K-18.

K-18 box culvert looking east.

Previously, this interchange was half diamond and half cloverleaf.  It will now be a full diamond interchange. On and off ramps are complete on the east side of U.S. 77. The foundation of the ramps on the west side has been placed, but they won’t be completed until the work on K-18 is finished.  

K-18 bridge looking south on U.S. 77

This is the third stage of the project with Hamm, Inc. of Perry as contractor at a cost of approximately $15 million.  The first and second stages started from the diverging diamond at the interchange of I-70 and U.S. 77 to the south, to Rucker Road and U.S. 77 to the north.  KDOT partnered with the city of Junction City in putting in a walk/bike path, which crosses U.S. 77.  

A walk/bike path that cross U.S. 77 has also been added. 

Building bridges: I-235/U.S. 54 work continues

Construction crews closed I-235/U.S. 54 during the weekend of October 6 to install twelve 120-foot bridge beams over traffic lanes. The work took three days. 

Part of the challenge of building a two-lane flyover ramp at a major interchange in a metropolitan city is installing the bridge beams over multiple lanes of traffic without dropping them on cars.

To prevent that kind of catastrophic event, construction crews in Wichita closed U.S. 54 under I-235 and I-235 over U.S. 54 during the weekend of October 6. Twelve 120-foot steel bridge beams were installed over traffic lanes during the three days.

Construction crews closed I-235/U.S. 54 during the weekend of October 6 to install twelve 120-foot bridge beams over traffic lanes. The work took three days. 

The beams will support the southbound I-235 ramp to eastbound U.S. 54. Similar closures at the interchange are planned in 2018 as this ramp progresses and when more beams are installed in the area for the new northbound I-235 ramp to westbound U.S. 54.

Construction crews closed I-235/U.S. 54 during the weekend of October 6 to install twelve 120-foot bridge beams over traffic lanes. The work took three days. 

The first phase of the I-235/U.S. 54 interchange reconstruction includes the building of seven new bridges and the repair or widening of ten other bridges. Work on the interchange improvements began in November 2015 and is on-schedule for a summer 2019 completion.

KDOT road preservation in full swing

A section of I-70 in NW Kansas before preservation work was done. 

Preserving Kansas roads, ranked among the top five states in America, is a priority at KDOT.

The right maintenance at the right time—whether it’s chip sealing, crack sealing, asphalt overlay, resurfacing or patching—helps extend the life of the pavement for many years and protects the investment we have made in our Kansas highways.

The same section of road following preservation work completed. 

In fiscal year 2016, over 700 miles of preservation work occurred. Under current KDOT budgeting, preservation is projected to increase to 1,000 miles in fiscal year 2017 and 1,200 miles in fiscal year 2018.

One-hundred bridges were estimated to be repaired or replaced in fiscal year 2016, but by the end of the year, 117 projects were completed. In fiscal year 2017, 160 bridges are scheduled for work under current KDOT budgeting.

 “Orange barrels are blanketing Kansas roadways as KDOT continues to provide one of the best transportation systems in the nation,” Interim Transportation Secretary Richard Carlson said. “Preservation is an essential element of KDOT and is a proactive approach to meeting the transportation needs of our state.”

This fiscal year, KDOT will spend two times more on preservation projects than the year Governor Brownback took office. Expansion and enhancement projects will jump over $10 million during the same period, while modernization projects will increase by nearly $10 million.

Work Zone Wednesday: Excavator vs. Bridge

As part of Work Zone Wednesday we have been telling you about work zones that are already in progress and have been planned for. Here's an example of a work zone that wasn't planned for, and could have easily been avoided.

Earlier this spring a driver hauling an excavator hit a bridge near Hutchinson, on the westbound lanes of U.S. 50 and the K-14 bridge overhead. The driver had failed to account for and was over the overpass height limit.

After emergency crews cleaned up the hydraulic fluid and fuel leak, KDOT crews began to assess the the damage done to the bridge. The bridge was hit with such force that the excavator's cabin, arm and shovel were removed once the boom hit the overpass, the rest of the excavator was still attached to the trailer. A crane was then needed to remove the damaged equipment.

No significant structural damage had occurred but a investigation found that the impact had first hit the concrete girder, damaging not just the concrete but the horizontal beam under the second girder. Bridge decking and concrete girders were replaced following the crash.

No one was injured in the crash, but it's a reminder for every driver to plan their drive ahead of time, including checking the requirements of the roads that they travel on. While driving, stay alert and check the posted signs.