Bridge Construction Uses New Technology to Finish in a Week

A bridge that’s replacing an existing one on Interstate 77 in Ghent is the first of its kind in West Virginia. The company that oversees the project, tells The Register-Herald that construction started Sunday and should wrap up already by this Saturday, using Accelerated Bridge Construction to replace the two-lane bridge deck on northbound I-77 over Route 48. In ABC, workers assemble pre-cast elements at the side of the existing bridge, while crews build a new superstructure underneath the existing bridge. The pre-cast elements are then moved into place using a lateral slide method. Crews work around the clock until the bridge is completed in days. Over 100 ABC projects are expected on the West Virginia Turnpike in the future.