Project Overview
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the U.S. 90 Bridge over Biloxi Bay, which connects the communities of Biloxi and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, carrying approximately 35,000 vehicles daily. The replacement project includes new dual 1.6-mile-long bridges over the bay that carries three lanes of traffic in each direction and a shared-use path.
The project was designed to resist a Category 5 hurricane, with the precast being erected in just 16.5 months and with the entire project completed in about 20 months. The bridge includes many aesthetic features such as colored concrete, open concrete traffic barriers, ornamental aluminum picket pedestrian railing, sidewalk overlooks with benches, and ornamental night accent lighting.
Precast Solution
The new structure consists of a 250-foot navigation span comprised of precast bulb-tee girders that vary in depth from 12 feet at the piers to 6.5 feet at mid-span. The approach spans consist of prestressed bulb-tee girders with span lengths of 85 feet to 150 feet. The piers are subjected to vessel collision loads and are supported by waterline footings on 24-inch and 30-inch precast piles. |