Central Avenue Bridge Replacement

Rapid bridge
replacement technique used successfully

Close consultation
& continuous coordination with CN rail

11,300
vehicles daily

Challenge

Structural evaluation of the Central Avenue Bridge revealed that this 130 m long multi-span bridge could no longer support its posted loading capacity for truck traffic and needed to be replaced.
The bridge was constructed in 1953 and carries 11,300 vehicles over a major rail corridor and Lewis Street, which provides a vital link to the Fort Erie Bridgeburg business district.
The design of the new bridge required an innovative and technical solution.
Careful attention to construction staging was also needed to keep traffic flowing into the Bridgeburg area and avoid disruption of the rail traffic crossing the US border.

The bridge was designed in a manner to maintain CN operations as well as allow future flexibility for the expansion of the CN/CP shared portion of the rail corridor. Traffic impacts were minimized during replacement.
The rapid bridge replacement technique was used to laterally slide the new superstructure from a temporary staging platform to the permanent substructure constructed under the existing bridge, minimizing the duration of a complete traffic shutdown.

Rapid bridge construction techniques using hydraulic jacking assemblies with steel rollers, positioned to launch structure to sit on permanent bearing seats on constructed abutment and piers.
Design of the north section of the bridge structure allowed for future CN/CP rail expansion within their right-of-way.
Staging and construction sequencing was designed to minimize traffic disruption on Central Avenue, including the building of a new substructure below the existing superstructure, and the new superstructure beside the existing one.