Steel Industry Accelerates Rebuild of I-95 Bridge Project

SSSBA member High Steel Structures, Lancaster, PA was given the vital task of manufacturing steel beams for the high profile I-95 bridge rebuild in Philadelphia, PA.

For this project, High Steel is fabricating 16 girders and 56 crossbeams. American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) member Cleveland Cliffs provided the steel plate for the project out from their Coatesville, PA plant.

Accelerated Construction

Due to the importance of this structure to the public, the development is being escalated to a rapid pace.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro attended an event at High Steel Structures to highlight the accelerated permanent reconstruction.

“Typically, they tell me it can take up to 9 months to get it done to get steel girders like this manufactured,” said Shapiro. “But in this case, it’s gonna take just about two months. Weeks, not months to get this done.”

This shows the extraordinary efforts of the steel industry in action. “To be able to do something in as little as two months is really extraordinary,” said vice president of technical services Ronnie Medlock.

Bridge Owners and Designer Look to Steel for Answers

Bridge owners and designers look to steel to repair and replace our nation’s most vulnerable bridges. Why steel?

• Due to the light weight of steel, cost savings can be significant by using smaller abutments, local crews, and lighter equipment.
  • Learn how Whitman County, Washington saved 32 percent by using steel for a bridge replacement project.
• Steel can compete and save costs when compared with nearly identical concrete structures.
  • Learn how Audrain County, Missouri saved 19 percent by using steel in a side-by-side comparison of a steel versus concrete bridge.
• Steel bridges also have long lives, decreasing the need for replacement.
  • Learn about the innovative press-brake tub girder system – it has a life expediency of over 100 years, with the first 60 of those years being maintenance-free.
• Steel bridges can be designed with prefabricated elements which provide a simpler installation and time savings.
  • Learn how a prefabricated steel truss bridge was quickly erected to reconnect a community decimated after the Woolsey fire that swept through the Santa Monica Mountains.
• Habitat protection and environmental enhancements are major benefits of using buried steel bridges.
  •  Learn how a buried steel bridge provided a natural pathway for fish to spawn in Idaho.
• Steel is the world’s most recycled material and is infinitely recyclable, so it can be repurposed from one bridge project to another.
  • Learn how Muskingum County, Ohio saved $51,000 in superstructure costs by repurposing steel beam for the replacement of the Green Valley Road Bridge.

Want to Learn How You Can Accelerated Construction with Steel?

The SSSBA is offering complimentary customized educational guest speakers/webinars and workshops (on-site or virtual) specifically for county engineers, state DOTs, and design firms. The webinars/workshops are taught by industry experts with decades of experience in the accelerated, cost-effective design and construction of short span bridges.

For more information or to customize a workshop for your organization, please contact:

• Dustin Young (AISI Director of Business Development) at dyoung@steel.org or 412.580.1492.
• Michael Barker (University of Wyoming & SSSBA Director of Education) at barker@uwyo.edu