The Soapstone Trail creek crossing closest to Broad Branch Road could be tough to navigate. This one looks easy.
There is a new bridge – a substantial one – at this crossing. DC Water says it was completed on Monday, April 11th, and that a subcontractor is installing two additional bridges. One will be by the storm sewer outfall next to Connecticut Avenue and the Albemarle Street entrance to Soapstone.
Heavy equipment and loads of materials for the sewer rehabilitation project need to traverse these temporary bridges. We asked DC Water to explain how the bridge just of Broad Branch Road was constructed.
The bridge beams were designed in 25-foot lengths so that they could be easily transported around the Beltway. The contractor crew assembled them onsite, which involves using two large excavators to hold the steel while the crew used an impact drill to run in the bolts to the steel. Once the crew had the steel together, they set up a stream bypass. They pumped the stream around the work area and used large concrete blocks to create an abutment.
The subcontractor (Triangle) utilized a survey team to make sure that the abutments were in the correct location for the bridge. The crew then set the steel on top of the abutments using the large equipment. Once the steel was set, the crew built out the mats, decks; and they will later place a safety handrail.
These bridges are scheduled to be in place until the end of 2022.
According to DC Water’s April 19th project update, the construction of the temporary bridges (and roads) will continue into next week. The installation of bypass piping is to begin next week. At the April 19th ANC 3F meeting, DC Water released a timeline of construction activities, which has the first pipe relining efforts beginning in mid-June.