Off Topic: Engineering Stuff: Fast 14

For the enjoyment of my engineering audience...

"The bridges are coming, the bridges are coming" blinks on a portable LED construction sign.  What's this about?  It's a play off "The British are coming" evoking Paul Revere's Boston to Lexington ride of yore and refers to the replacement of 14 highway/freeway/motorway bridges north of Boston not far from my home.  During some recent government stimulus road paving it became evident that many of the bridge road decks were falling apart - stark evidence of the failing grade the American Society of Civil Engineers assigns to most of our nation's infrastructure.  After some emergency shoring up of the decks they proceeded to plan.

Potholes that swallow cars and motorbikes whole - not a myth

No problem.  "Fast 14" to the rescue.  All the newfound dangerous bridges will be replaced over a few weekends this summer starting June 3.  The plan is to redirect one direction of traffic at a time to the other side then swap out the old bridge sections with new ready-made modular sections using cranes.  More official info is listed here

Swap Process

 

Crossover

I'll take a photo or two next month.  Meanwhile back in Waltham, near the factory on I-95, there is a bridge they have been building since the time Revit was born.  They should just stop, cut their losses, and try this new technique.

_erik