Solutions - Issue Eight - (Page 7)

Before After e Replacement Fixes Bottleneck Known locally as Monongahela Boulevard in Star City, US Route 19 is the major connector between Interstate 79 and Morgantown, West Virginia. University of West Virginia Mountaineer football fans knew the route as a bottleneck, where a narrow blue steel truss bridge, built in 1950, funneled four lanes into two. When the West Virginia Department of Transportation's Division of Highways selected Buchart Horn to design a replacement structure and major highway approach realignments, the assignment required that the highway remain open to the 30,000 motorists who depend on the river crossing every day. Buchart Horn's design solution called for continued use of the existing bridge as the first two lanes of the new bridge were The 1,000' US 19 crossing includes a 412' main span with a 92' width to accommodate four traffic lanes, a turning lane and pedestrian sidewalks. The new bridge sits 55' above the Monongahela River. Local reaction has been extremely positive. "It's really been a boost for economic development in the greater Morgantown area. It's a gateway to progress that has helped our traffic immensely," said Alan Sharp, Mayor of Star City, West Virginia. constructed. Once the new lanes were in place, explosive charges were used to drop the old bridge into the Monongahela River where crews on barges removed the bridge from the commercial waterway within 24 hours. Creative Approach to Demolition Quickly Restores River Traffic Onlookers gathered to watch as explosive experts, following demolition plans prepared by Buchart Horn, dropped the 52-year-old steel truss Star City Bridge into the Monongahela River. The demolition took place after two lanes of the new river crossing had been opened to traffic. Buchart Horn's demolition plans called for segments of the bridge to be pre-cut to allow for quick removal from the river, a navigable waterway that had to be clear for commercial river traffic within 24 hours of the bridge's demolition. Crews on barges began removing the old steel from the river within an hour of the explosion and the river was open to commercial traffic within the allotted time. The Route 19 river crossing remained open throughout the construction process, except for a brief period before and after the demoliton of the old bridge. 7

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Solutions - Issue Eight

Solutions - Issue Eight Contents Energy Options Cut School Operating Costs Star City Bridge Clears Vital Traffic Artery Robot Aids in Painting Water Tank High Tech Loggy for Tobyhanna Army Depot

Solutions - Issue Eight

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