How a 115-ton concrete beam cruises from Wisconsin to the Tri-State’s Mile Lengthy Bridge

How do you move a 115 ton, 187 foot long concrete beam from a manufacturer in Wisconsin to Illinois along two major toll roads with heavy traffic and install it 50 feet above the ground on the Mile Long Bridge?

The toll engineers of Illinois explain very carefully.

Last week the Illinois State Police began drilling concrete beams through the suburbs that will form the base for the deck of the new, expanded, south-facing Mile Long Bridge.

While the title is unique, it refers to two separate structures on the Tri-State Tollway that date back to 1958 and move approximately 150,000 vehicles daily.

In 2020, workers completed a replacement heading north towards Mile Long Bridge with five lanes (previously four) and wider hard shoulders that can accommodate transit and emergency vehicles if necessary.

The girders are “very specialized and large, and they have to be delivered with special trucks and special struts,” said acting Chief Engineering Officer Manar Nashif. “It is a major operation. The trucks will not be traveling at full freeway speed and we ask our customers to be patient and to respect the speed limits.”

Moving the giants requires 10-foot wide, 14-axle heavy-duty trailers and a police escort along the Jane Addams Tollway (I-90) and I-294 to the construction site near Willow Springs. The project is part of a $ 4 billion Central Tri-State redo.

The Mile Long Bridge offers unique challenges for construction teams and includes Canadian National and BNSF Railways, a UPS Distribution Center, 75th Street, Des Plaines River, Illinois and Michigan Canal, and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

In addition to the complexities below, there are underground gas pipelines and a kerosene pipeline to O’Hare International Airport.

The new bridges have longer sections or spans and are supported by fewer pillars, the sturdy vertical pillars that support a structure. This means fewer bridge joints that usually need to be repaired first.

The concrete girders form the basis for the bridge deck on which the vehicles will travel. Two cranes and a gantry system help lift the girders into a permanent gig on the pillars.

Space for technical choreography is limited and that limits beam placement to five per day.

The toll road keeps the original bridge open to the south while the adjacent replacement is built, as was the case with the one to the north.

Beam deliveries for 2021 will be completed by Halloween and will take place on weekdays between 4 a.m. and 12 p.m. A total of 250 concrete girders and 165 steel girders will be trucked south to the bridge before it is completed in 2022 for $ 182.6 million. The northbound version cost $ 184.6 million.

“This will provide a lot of relief from these additional lanes on the bridge,” said Nashif.

The Northbound Bridge’s features include digital signs with traffic warnings and travel times, similar to those on I-90. The toll road is still processing the plans for the signage of the building going south, said Nashif.

Standstill warning

Starting today, prepare for Algonquin delays as IDOT crews clean and paint the Algonquin Road Bridge over the Fox River. Drivers should expect road closures and the work should be completed by mid-September.

Just one thing

Lake County’s Transportation Department plans to provide an improved paratransit system for drivers with disabilities and is seeking feedback by Wednesday. “This new service would provide a borderless nationwide transportation system for seniors and residents with disabilities to get to work, shopping, medical appointments and more,” the planners said. To learn more and take a survey, go to lakecountyil.gov/FormCenter/Transportation-7/Community-Feedback-New-Countywide-Paratr-382.