poland.030707

Work Continues on Poland Bridge [WGN 45-08-02]. July 7, 2003 - As the rehabilitation of the Poland Bridge continues some questions have been raised about the disposition of the bridge, according to contractor Alpine Construction's foreman Jim Ligon        The contractor advises that the bridge was not raised high enough over the abutments during the stabilization phase performed in the early spring of 2001 and should be raised higher. The south end of the bridge was found to have been shifted four inches down stream as a result of high water on June 15, 2002 despite the bridge having been raised three feet higher over the stream.        The contractor also advises that the bridge, when completed, should not be opened to light traffic as planned, but should be restricted to cycles and pedestrians;. The proposed three-ton limit can be challenged by many of today's SUVs, Ligon said.        Work continues toward the objective of overhauling the trusses and restoring the lost camber. As a first step, the south end of the bridge was leveled on the abutment, raising the down-stream side approximately three inches.        The work will be done while the bridge remains on the river supported by steel pilings. No core was taken under the bridge to find bedrock for the pilings, said Ligon, but a measurement was taken at the railroad bridge down stream and "refusal" was found to be 25 feet. When that pilings were driven at the Poland Bridge, three lengths, or 140 feet of piling were joined to reach refusal at 102'6" below the river bottom. Down-stream side. Three-inch leveling timbers can be seen. Photo by Joe Nelson, July 7, 2003 Up-stream side. Note strip of concrete exposed when end of bridge moved. Photo by Joe Nelson, July 7, 2003

Return to top