How can you construct a bridge across a busy Ohio River freight passageway without disrupting traffic?
For West Virginia’s new Wellsburg Bridge, Flatiron opted to build the 830-foot main span on the riverbank, then float it into place downstream.
“There were many challenges with the Wellsburg project, but I'd say the most significant one was floating the superstructure down the river, marking the first time this was successfully accomplished in North America,” said Inigo Jimenez Oyarzun, Flatiron’s Project Engineer.
For over a century, local residents discussed building a bridge to reconnect the communities of Brilliant, Ohio, and Wellsburg, West Virginia, once linked by a ferry before its operations ceased. Now with the new bridge, a 30-minute drive to the nearest crossing turned into a five-minute commute. An estimated 2,500 people celebrated that accomplishment at the Wellsburg Bridge opening.
The project also earned the People’s Choice Award in the 2024 America’s Transportation Awards competition. Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the 2024 competition received over 100 nominations from 39 states. The People’s Choice Award was given to the project from the top 12 finalists that received the highest number of online votes from the public, weighted by state population.
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“Like many major bridge projects, the Wellsburg Bridge project experienced its fair share of challenges, including complex design requirements, unexpected geological conditions, underwater foundation construction, adapting to pandemic guidelines, fabrication and erection of the tied-arch steel, and environmental conditions that led to delays and increase in cost — but the challenges were no match for our experienced project team,” said Mike Witherow, P.E., Regional Construction Engineer for the West Virginia Division of Highways District 6.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) awarded the project’s $131 million design-build contract to Flatiron. As part of that alternative delivery method, Flatiron executed the unique construction solution that kept the river open for barge traffic throughout construction.
Flatiron worked with Mammoet to transport the completed, 4,100-ton main span structure.
First, Mammoet installed eight Mega Jack 5200 towers and eight 500-ton strand jacks onto barges in New Orleans, Louisiana. After Mammoet function-tested the system, Flatiron floated the barges to Wellsburg.
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From there, the completed span was positioned on two sets of barges that slowly carried it one mile down the Ohio River. After arriving at the bridge piers, Mammoet lifted the bridge a total of 15 jacking beam layers on six towers and 16 jacking beam layers on two additional towers in order for the span to be floated between the piers and over the bridge bearings and approach girder.
Finally, the structure was lifted off the barges and placed on the approach girders 80 feet above the river, allowing the barges to float away.
Forecasted windy conditions prompted a decision to expedite the schedule and complete the full float-in and jacking operation in a single 13-hour day instead of two days as originally planned.
Photos courtesy of WVDOT.
