Technical Description:
• Continental
® Pedestrian Truss
• Span: 205 ft
• Width: 12 ft
• Style: Connector
• Finish: Weathered Steel
• Decking: Wood
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In order to restore a connection lost years ago when a railroad bridge was removed, a new bridge was needed to cross the Winooski River and complete the East Montpelier Trail system in Montpelier, Vermont.
“The new bridge is a key step in a plan to link several trail systems,” stated Greg Western, Executive Director of the Cross Vermont Trail Association, the project's owner.
When the project is finished, the Montpelier Recreation Path and the East Montpelier Trails will connect to the Cross Vermont Trail completing a project initially started in the mid-1990s. With the site located at the confluence of four towns, the process was complicated. The new trails will provide cyclists and pedestrians with a route off the main roads, thus improving the safety of pedestrians and motorists alike.
Stantec, the project's engineer, decided that a 205' span x 12' wide Connector-style Continental Pedestrian Truss was the best solution for the river crossing. The bridge arrived on site in four pieces before being assembled into a single structure. During installation, a crane held the north end of the bridge while the south end floated on a barge in the river. Once two workers boarded the barge, the crane slowly slide the bridge across the river where it was attached to a spreader bar hanging from a second crane on the south side of the river. That crane then hoisted the south end onto a concrete abutment, setting the bridge into place on the foundation. The wood decking was shipped to the site separately to reduce the crane's pick weight as much as possible and then added after the bridge was installed.
"Just designing it, engineering it, getting it here—literally years of engineering and figuring things out," Western added.
The bridge opened in Fall 2021 but the connecting trails will be constructed in stages, including a connection to U-32 Middle and High Schools, a trailhead parking area and nearby Route 14. The Continental truss bridge was a great solution for the site, and Cross Vermont Trail Association, Stantec and VHB Engineers were pleased with the outcome.
“Contech Engineered Solutions' contributions to the Cross Vermont Trail bridge project were paramount to the success," concluded Jason Keener, PE, Project Engineer with VHB Engineers. "Their expertise in bridge fabrication allowed for the successful navigation of complex specifications and ensured the approvals of fabrication methods and shop drawings which allowed the project to remain on schedule. Contech’s expertise and dedication to the project continued throughout construction as they provided on-site representation during assembly and setting of the bridge assisting with the required on-site assembly and providing timely solutions to issues that inevitably occur during construction. Ultimately, Contech ensured that the Cross Vermont Trail Association was provided with a bridge of the highest quality that will provide trail users access for many years to come."
Technical Description:
• Continental
® Pedestrian Truss
• Span: 205 ft
• Width: 12 ft
• Style: Connector
• Finish: Weathered Steel
• Decking: Wood
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