Acrow Bridge Presents Technical Session at National Association of County Engineers Annual Conference on the I-5 Bridge Collapse in Skagit County, WA

PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwired - Apr 27, 2015) - Acrow Bridge, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, recently presented a program on its experience with providing a temporary bridge in Burlington, WA after the collapse of an Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in May 2013. The presentation was made by Eugene Sobecki, National Sales Manager, on April 20 at the Annual Conference of the National Association of County Engineers in Daytona Beach, FL.

After an over-height vehicle caused the collapse of the bridge on May 23, it was imperative to find a quick and safe solution to transporting 70,000 cars and trucks per day on a major north-south intersection between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC. When the Washington State Department of Transportation awarded the emergency contract to Atkinson Construction two days after the incident, Acrow became part of the team to engineer a rapid solution for the bridge replacement.

After consideration of various solutions to keep traffic moving, the most expedient was determined to be a temporary Acrow 700XS panel bridge, Sobecki noted. "To replace the old 53-foot-wide, 160-foot-long bridge, we designed two 24-foot-wide, 160-foot spans. However, the typical crane-assisted launch was not possible. Instead, we determined the only practical way to place the bridge was to perform a full cantilever launch." He added, "Special design considerations for the bridge pedestals were necessary and, when in place, each bridge section was positioned, with the span formally opening on June 16^th little more than three weeks after the accident."

Added Bill Killeen, CEO, "This difficult installation was a significant accomplishment as the quick completion allowed for full traffic capacity less than a month after the collapse. Our prefabricated detour bridges have also proven to be a significant cost savings opportunity for contractors during bridge repair or replacement. In addition to traffic flow they allow for a more reliable construction schedule, while providing safe and predictable passage around work sites."

About Acrow Bridge
Acrow Bridge has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 60 years with a full line of modular steel bridging solutions for vehicle, rail, vessel, military and pedestrian use. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.