Two weekends ago I got a chance to crawl over the "famous" Nipigon bridge that is still under construction.
1. The second span is being constructed parallel to the span opened last year. While it will be a functionally "separate" bridge, once things are finished, it will all look like one common span and bridge.
An interesting fact about these spans is evident in this picture. You can notice that the existing span is roughly 3m higher than the train bridge to the right. It is also roughly the same height above the old road bridge. The reason for this was to ensure that both pedestrian and vehicle traffic are able to look over the train bridge to Nipigon bay. (note that the bridge side barriers are open on this bridge unlike many other new bridges to ensure that this view is accessible.
2. It always amazes me how much scaffolding is needed to build bridges. The road deck is 150 feet above the access below, so there is only one way up!
3. They were working on the pier supports that go 150 feet to the valley floor and then another 50 feet to the pilings. So 200 of feet of rebar that will be filled with high pressure concrete that needs to be pumped up from the valley below. Always amazing.
4. Ivan and the team were modelling some of the 200+ kms of rebar that go into each of the piers. The steelworkers are from Ontario and include a couple local FNs. The cable team are from Spain and some of the concrete teams are from the US. A truly multinational operation.
5. Here is a close up of how the spans connect to the central pier. Obviously this is for the outside spans, but the inside ones connect pretty much the same. For a complex system, this is pretty "basic".
Top:
Bottom:
Again, the two spans will be functionally separate, however you can see the rebar sticking out that will be used to support the concrete "connection" between the two spans. It will cover the gap, but will not offer any real structural support.