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No Comments [ Add Comment ]Bridges of Davis County — Not so stable?
By Bryon SaxtonNew one in Kaysville; two faltering elsewhere
While two overpasses in North Davis County are showing signs of distress, and may eventually have to be replaced, construction on a third continues in hopes of having the bridge open by year's end.
All three projects are vital in moving east-west traffic in the county over active and vacated railroad lines.
The 200 North overpass being built in Kaysville will "connect the community" divided by Union Pacific Railroad and FrontRunner commuter rail lines, Mayor Neka Roundy said.
When the city reaches buildout of 44,000 residents, Roundy said, about half of its population will live on the west side. The $20 million, 145-foot structure will eventually span six rail lines.
But before Kaysville and commuter rail constructors began work on the project, city leaders and Utah Department of Transportation officials learned what they could from the 200 South overpass constructed in Clearfield.
For more than a year the $5.5 million 200 South overpass has been the source of pending litigation between Clearfield and other parties regarding the fill material used on the project, Public Works Director Scott Hodge said. That overpass spans a railroad switching yard.
The overpass, completed in November 2001, poses no immediate danger to motorists and remains open to traffic, Hodge said. Repairs to the road, however, need to be made sooner rather than later to keep repair costs from escalating, he said.
"It's not going to fix itself," Hodge said.
Shortly after the overpass was built at Center Street and State Street, Hodge said, the bridge embankments began to show signs of distress.
City officials estimate it could cost about $1.75 million to repair the overpass.
Clearfield had a dirt-settling issue, Roundy said, and because of the difficulty Clearfield has experienced, Kaysville has extended the time it is allowing for the fill to settle.
"We want very settled dirt," Roundy said.
Despite taking the precaution, and the advances in bridge-building technology the past five years, Roundy said, she is aware there could still be problems.
"I haven't noticed that it came with a guarantee," she said of the 200 North project.
The Federal Highway Administration's evaluation of the Clearfield 200 South bridge project identified several areas which are being addressed on Kaysville's 200 North bridge, UDOT spokesman Andy Neff said.
Because the overpasses are local government projects on local roads, and have received federal funding, Neff said, the state does have oversight.
"Frequent and thorough process reviews are being conducted to ensure procedures, materials testing, compaction, etc., conform to current federal standards and guidelines," he said.
Construction management consultants have been selected from a UDOT-approved pool, Neff said, "meaning they were prequalified and have experience with federal projects."
"We always err on the side of safety," Neff said.
To help ensure fill settles before paving begins, contractors have put a surcharge of fill on the project to apply additional weight for compaction, Kaysville city engineer Andy Thompson said.
The two-lane bridge, built wide enough to accommodate four-lanes, is being designed for a 50-year life span, subject to regular maintenance, Thompson said.
Just as Kaysville leaders are gearing up to be sure the city's overpass meets needs for the next half-century, Clinton leaders are taking the 800 North overpass on a day-to-day basis.
"It has been failing for years and years and years," Clinton City Manager Dennis Cluff said of the 55-foot bridge spanning a single vacated Denver & Rio Grande Railroad line.
The cost to restore the structure, built in 1983, is from $8 million to $10 million. Those are funds the city does not have and dollars it has been unable to capture from the state or federal government.
Cluff said the bridge, belonging to Clinton and Clearfield cities, was to receive $1.5 million in federal funds this year for improvements to extend its life.
But those dollars were pulled from the city when the federal government modified its budget, Cluff said. "We have been looking for funding since then."
The bridge approaches, where fill is held in place with concrete cribbing, is where the problem is, Cluff said.
"It worked for a number of years," he said, "until the concrete started chipping away and breaking."
The city has proposed the bridge be torn down and replaced with a single at-grade crossing at the railroad track, Cluff said. Utah Transit Authority officials oppose that idea out of concern the vacated rail line may someday be reactivated.
In the meantime, until funding can be secured for bridge repairs, the city council this week approved an ordinance that could reduce the speed limit on the bridge from 30 mph to 20 mph.
The same ordinance will restrict truck traffic weighing more than 10,000 gross pounds from using on the bridge.
"The vibration is causing the dirt to fall away from the approach," Cluff said of the need to reduce the weight and speed of vehicles.
The city is hoping the changes, in addition to daily monitoring by city engineers, will extend the life of the bridge without the need for major construction.
"Obviously, it is a bridge that needs some help," he said of the structure that first began to show signs of failure in the mid-1990s.
Cluff said the bridge replaced an old wooden bridge in the city.
"It was great at the time," Cluff said. "People loved it."
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