Project Profile

The Dilemma:

• The existing culvert is obsolete and needs immediate replacement
• The 2-lane road cannot be closed (MDOT’s M-35 @ Olsen Creek, Marquette County)
• Olson Creek runs at a severe angle to the centerline of the road
• A surrounding peat swamp will not feasibly allow a temporary bypass road or any extended structure outside its present “footprint”.

The Solution:

• LowSpan 3-sided culvert/bridge skew sections cast to conform to meet the stream to road centerline geometry.

The Skewed Up Benefits:

• Skewed LowSpan sections allowed for a part-width construction process with no bridge closures or no bypass roads so that all phases kept the bridge centerline intact
• Skewed LowSpan sections allowed the creek to continue to run at its previous unhindered course
• Skewed LowSpan sections and wing-walls and skewed headwalls enabled the structure to be built within its existing “footprint”
• Precast/Prestressed concrete LowSpan bridge sections allowed for the project to be completed in a matter of weeks not months!