Middle Section Photo Gallery – Fall 2007Gonzales Creek Bridge ConstructionThe first five pictures show how they prepared the old Gonzales Creek bridge to receive a new structure. After separating the old girders from the abutments, workers lift them off with a crane. After removing the rebar, the concrete is crushed for reuse as sub-grade material (the layer of material below the pavement). Elevated bridge abutments and wing walls are constructed on top of the old abutments. The last series shows how they placed the last girder for the new bridge on October 16. The Gonzales site is a relatively easy location, with room to place the two cranes at each end. This allows the girders to be lifted off the truck and directly onto the new bridge structure. The steel bearing pads onto which they are placed allow slight compression and flexibility in the bridge under heavy loads.
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