As Lead Designer and Engineer-of-Record, H&H designed the new bascule span replacement and roadway reconstruction for the SR 968/SW 1st Street Bascule Bridge.
The new 507-foot replacement bridge included a 315-foot (240 feet trunnion-to-trunnion) double-leaf bascule span over a widened 125-foot navigation channel. Two new approach spans (100-foot span on the west and an 88-foot span on the east) consist of prestressed concrete beams providing at least 16.5 feet of clearance over North and South River Drives.
The bascule span roadway included an Exodermic concrete deck providing protection of steel superstructure and a safer/quieter riding surface. The bridge operates with an electrical-mechanical gear train with a rack and pinion drive, variable frequency drive motor control, and relay logic. Aesthetics are incorporated into the bridge piers, walls, abutments, and a three-story control house.
Roadway reconstruction included upgrading the existing substandard typical section to current standards through the project limits. A typical section in the new roadway has three 11-foot traffic lanes, a 5.5-foot bicycle lane, and 2.5-foot shoulders. Traffic barriers and pedestrian railing are included in the new bridge’s typical section. A detour to the W. Flagler Street Bridge was maintained during construction. Community involvement played a part in the bridge design reflective of the historic bridge and the adjacent South River Drive.
The existing NRHP eligible bridge was a 650.5 foot (now demolished) 13-span bridge constructed in 1929 is the gateway crossing into downtown Miami traversing the lower segment of the Miami River lies adjacent to a local and NRHP historic district. It provides local eastbound traffic access to downtown Miami from the Little Havana Community and is located within the City of Miami’s Greenway System.
The bridge opened to traffic in October 2021; the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on January 14, 2022.
Click for a video of the installation of the second south toe girder.
Project Accolades
