January 19, 2008
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I-35W Bridge over the MississippiJan. 18, 2008Greetings! If you have questions, please do not reply directly to this email. Contact Amy Barrett, Public Information Officer, at (612) 807-3264 or via e-mail at abarrett@flatironcorp.com.
For a diagram showing the various bridge elements described below, please click here:http://projects.dot.state.mn.us/35wbridge/overview.html
Minnesota Twins truck leads off at Pier 3This Cemstone truck, painted like a baseball and featuring the Minnesota Twins logo, was first in the line-up of the 140 trucks that supplied the concrete for the footing at Pier 3 (southbound) on the north side of the river.
The pour began at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, and lasted approximately 12 hours. This photo shows what the operation looked like from the outside:
And here’s what it looked like from the inside:
Notice all of the green rebar providing reinforcement throughout the footing. The black tube is one of the concrete pumps.
Construction UpdateMore concrete coming
Footings at Piers 2, 3, and 4 (northbound) should be ready to pour early next week. The first part of the stemwall at Abutment 1 will also be poured next week.Truckloads of other construction materials-40-foot-long steel pipes, crane mats, I-beams, and wide-flange beams, for example-continue to arrive daily on both sides of the construction site. These materials will be used to construct the temporary scaffolding-also known as “falsework”-to support the forms for the superstructure.
Carpenters continue building in the casting yard
You can see from this recent aerial photo how much has been happening at the casting yard, located along the unused stretch of I-35W just north of Washington Avenue:
The first segment will be cast here before the end of the month.Noise and odors may be apparent as drilling continues at Abutment 5 and the Second Street Bridge on the north side
The first 12 of 40 drilled shafts for the foundations at Abutment 5 on the northernmost end of the bridge have been drilled and the rest will be complete by the end of the month. During this phase of construction, there has been some more noticeable noise, due to the higher elevation of the work and the use of three large air compressors used to power the drills. That noise will continue for another couple of weeks.People in the area may also notice some odors similar to hot asphalt and/or mothballs. This is due to low-level tar contamination in the soil, because there was once a coal gasification plant in that area. MnDOT does not anticipate any significant air quality issues. However, they are monitoring the situation closely.Work will continue round the clock until piers are complete
Crews will be working day and night on both sides of the river, seven days a week, until the piers are complete sometime in March. Night work will include chipping and prepping piles, forming footings, and placing rebar. The noise impacts of this work will be minimal, but lights will be noticeable.Getting a closer look:New webcam to be installed - Visitors to the website (www.mndot.gov) will soon notice a change in the webcam. Flatiron-Manson is installing a new OxBlue webcam that will have a superior image quality for the panoramic view of the construction site. Note that the website link may be inaccessible briefly this week during the installation. The other webcam will soon move to the 10th Avenue Bridge to provide occasional close-ups on specific construction activities.
For additional information about the project:Attend the Jan. 22 Open House - In an effort to better inform the communities surrounding the bridge, MnDOT will conduct an open house on Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. at University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13th Ave. SE, Minneapolis. Project representatives will be on hand to provide updates on the project and answer questions. Two additional open houses will take place Jan. 29 and 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.at the IDS Center, 80 S. Eighth St., Minneapolis. These events are free, and everyone is welcome.
Watch TV this weekend - Get even more bridge updates this weekend from the comfort of your living room. Watch for TV interviews with representatives from the project team on:- Saturday, Jan. 19 – KARE 11 at 8:20 a.m.
- Sunday, Jan. 20 – WCCO-TV, Channel 4 at 10:10 a.m.
Attend a Sidewalk Superintendent Talk - Despite the forecast for subzero temperatures this Saturday, the Sidewalk Talk will take place as scheduled, so bundle up and meet in front of Grandma’s Saloon at Washington Avenue South and 19th Avenue at 11 a.m.
Take a Self-guided Tour - For those who cannot attend the Sidewalk Talks, signs describing the design/build process have been mounted to the railing along the 10th Avenue Bridge.
Visit the website - You can find construction photos, maps, detour information, renderings of the finished bridge, a link to the webcam and more at www.mndot.gov.
Call the hotline - If you have any questions about the project, please call the hotline at 612-236-6901 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily. Messages left after 8 p.m. will be returned first thing the next morning.
Request a presentation - Representatives of MnDOT and Flatiron-Manson are willing and eager to provide project updates to neighborhood associations, business associations, and other groups. To arrange a presentation, please call the hotline, 612-236-6901.Other than viewing what’s happening from the 10th Avenue Bridge, the public is asked to stay away from the bridge construction area for safety reasons.The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Flatiron-Manson construction team intend to build a high quality and safe bridge while minimizing disruptions to the surrounding neighborhoods.
We will continue to distribute updates weekly and welcome your comments on how to improve the communication process between the project team and the community.
For more information on the I-35W project visit www.mndot.gov or call the I-35W Bridge Hotline at 612-236-6901.
