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COOPER RIVER BRIDGE
Teamwork, planning keeps bridge construction flowing ahead of schedule
By Holly Fisher
Contributing Writer
All eyes were on the Cooper River bridge construction in 2004. With each passing week, the expanse was longer and the beams taller on what will eventually be christened the Arthur J. Ravenel Jr. Bridge. In what seemed a matter of days, the cables had been erected and the bridge was looking more like the massive structure it will be.
The bridge is on target to open in early summer—a full year ahead of the state’s timeline. Palmetto Bridge Constructors—a joint venture of Tidewater Skanska Inc. and Flatiron Constructors Inc.— won the state contract; it will go down in history as the contractor for the longest cable-stay span in North America.
Wade Watson is project manager for Palmetto Bridge Constructors. He says the state originally had the schedule divided into two parts—with four of the eight lanes done in 2004 and then the other four lanes completed in 2006. Palmetto Bridge Constructors bid on the job with the intention of having the entire bridge completed in 44 months—a year ahead of the state’s schedule. “I think that was what got us the job,” he says.
Watson says it made more economical sense to complete the project all at once. A lot of money is tied up in equipment and overhead expenses, he explains, so by eliminating a year’s worth of those expenses the project costs less.
Knowing they had a 44-month timetable kept the company on target. That attitude, along with a significant level of cooperation from all involved, kept the project running smoothly, he says.
At peak construction time, the bridge had 600 employees, including scores of subcontractors.
Charles Dwyer, project manager for the Cooper River Bridge Replacement Project and S.C. Department of Transportation employee, credits the contractor’s quick bridge construction to teamwork and planning.
Holly Fisher is a regular contributor to the Business Journal. E-mail her at editorial@crbj.com.
SIDEBAR:
Did you know?
– The first main span girder for the new Cooper River bridge was installed in December 2003. Since then, 2,646 feet of main span bridge deck has been installed, making this portion of the job 93% complete.
– By the end of 2004 crews have placed 95% of the project’s 305,000 cubic yards of concrete, which is about 28,975 truckloads of concrete over the past three years (assuming each truckload carries about 10 cubic yards).
– Workers laid down 1,755,946 square feet of bridge deck in 2004.
– Almost 560 miles of cable strand and cable pipe were installed in 2004.
Source: S.C. Department of Transportation Community Bridge Office
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