Bridge Replacement Improves Infrastructure Safety
Our firm assisted the Town of Darien, CT with the replacement of a bridge structure which had been severely undermined by scour. Our engineers were initially engaged to review the condition of the existing bridge and provide a second opinion regarding the need for replacement. That effort uncovered discrepancies between the original design drawings and the as-built structure, leaving the bridge susceptible to loss of support. Based on this assessment, we recommended the Town plan for immediate replacement and were subsequently engaged for design, permitting, and construction phase services.
The initial design effort included hydrologic and hydraulic analyses and an alternatives analysis, which determined that an 18-foot wide by 7-foot tall box culvert was the best-suited structure to pass a 100-year storm. We also assisted the Town with an application to the State-Local Bridge Program, resulting in a funding contribution from the State of Connecticut.
Final plans incorporated several features to help integrate the new structure into the surrounding site. The outward aesthetics of the structure were improved by the use of stone masonry facing and timber guiderail, and the project also included wetland plantings and fish passage improvements.
Services Snapshot
Tighe & Bond provided the Town of Darien with a structural condition assessment, design, permitting, and construction phase services in support of this project.
