September 14, 2018 - Issue #10
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Champ Clark Bridge Replacement
There has been much progress made on the new bridge, as well as some excitement! On September 4 in the middle of the night, the American Queen unintentionally struck one of the piers of the old bridge. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the bridge was inspected and deemed safe. The very next day, the USS LST 325 cruised right through the work zone. This decommissioned World War II tank landing ship has been restored and has a home port in Evansville, Indiana, where 167 LST’s were built. The LST 325 serves as a museum and a memorial ship to the men who bravely served their country aboard LST’s.
Despite the occasional distraction, viewers can now see the form of the bridge starting to take shape. For those who are not able to witness construction on a regular basis, please view the live web cam on the website to actually see the progress. The retaining wall on the Missouri side has been completed and new sod is being placed on the excavated hill behind the retaining wall. Excavation and rebuilding of the Sny Levee on the Illinois side of the river will begin as soon as the river stage allows. Be sure to check out the next contractor update on September 29 at 10 a.m. in Riverview Park overlooking the construction.
Please drive safely. Always wear your seat belt and put your phone down, especially when driving through a work zone.
Once the girder sections are in place, they are temporarily attached together with pins. When all are aligned, workers install permanent bolts, as shown in the picture above.
Public Update Saturday, September 29 10 a.m. Riverview Park
The area above the retaining wall is starting to "green up!" |
Pictured above is one of twelve precast concrete beams fabricated by Coreslab in Marshall, MO being delivered to the project. Each beam is 145' long and weighs around 200,000 pounds. Our photographer likes to call these "glamour" shots of the girders. Three of the five girder spans are in place. What a work zone! |
Can you see the retaining wall? This is the Missouri side of the bridge showing the retaining wall nearly completed. |
Click on the image below to go to the live web cam. |