Highway, Bridge: Spanish Creek Bridge
Constructed 160 ft above a rugged creek bed in an earthquake-prone forest near Quincy, Calif., this seven-span box-girder bridge is supported by an open- spandrel arch. An innovative mass-concrete cooling system pumped cold water from the creek below and circulated it through the 354-ft arch's pour, saving $200,000 compared to other methods. Due to lack of local infrastructure, crews were challenged by a five-hour detour to haul supplies from one side of the bridge to the other. The design required delicate blasting just a few feet from an existing railroad tunnel for the new road alignment. With a spotless safety record, the project team produced "great results under difficult conditions," said a judge.
Project Team
Owner: Caltrans, Sacramento
Lead Design-Engineer: Caltrans, Chico
General Contractor: C.C. Myers, Rancho Cordova
Subcontractors: Drill Tech, Antioch; Knife River Construction, Chico; W.C. Maloney, Stockton; Neil's Controlled Blasting, Newcastle ; Pacific Coast Steel, Fairfield
