Skip to main content

BarrierGuard 800 keeps key U.S. bridge open

BarrierGuard 800 from Highway Care is said to be preventing the closure of a vital highway bridge in the United States. As a critical part of the US national infrastructure, the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge services the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The link allows the transporting of spent nuclear fuel and heavy freight bound to and from the naval shipyard, with an average of 15,000 vehicles per day crossing this structurally deficient bridge. The railing along the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge had begun to deterio
April 11, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
BarrierGuard 800 from 1529 Highway Care is said to be preventing the closure of a vital highway bridge in the United States.

As a critical part of the US national infrastructure, the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge services the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The link allows the transporting of spent nuclear fuel and heavy freight bound to and from the naval shipyard, with an average of 15,000 vehicles per day crossing this structurally deficient bridge.

The railing along the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge had begun to deteriorate, rusted through due to age and exposure. Recently the Memorial Bridge had been closed and the area could not survive without two bridges servicing the population. It left the Maine and New Hampshire Departments of Transportation in need of an immediate fix to keep this bridge from being closed.

After a careful study and much discussion, the decision was made to place the new innovative lightweight steel barrier across the Sarah Long Bridge to keep it open while a new bridge could be built. The Maine DOT and HNTB sent out a proposal which called for a steel barrier to be installed in less than 30 days after the project award. The bridge was already listed as structurally deficient so weight and speed of installation was an issue. Another concern was the concrete bridge deck being in such bad shape that the anchoring pattern would need to be shallow, as a through deck anchor was not viable.

The contract was awarded to CPM Constructors of Yarmouth, Maine who has completed over one hundred bridge and bridge rehabilitation projects. CPM Constructors is a recipient of the 2011 Build Maine Award and prestigious Build America Merit Award. To accomplish this task in a cost-effective and timely manner, CPM chose BarrierGuard 800 steel barrier manufactured by Highway Care in the U.S.

BarrierGuard 800 is said to weigh only 27.21kg per foot, appropriate for the reduced load limits of this structurally deficient bridge. Its narrow 53.34cm footprint is said to allow maximum travel lane usage for bridge traffic.  The option of internal anchoring to prevent snow plow snagging, along with a 12.7cm anchor embedment depth, were also said to be attractive features of the barrier.  Galvanized to ASTM 123 standards with a life cycle of approximately 20 years, the BarrierGuard 800 installation is expected to outlast the bridge.

An additional challenge for CPM Constructors has been limited 10pm-5am working hours to accommodate the traffic flow requirements of Naval base personnel. The ability to install up to 304.8m of BarrierGuard 800 per hour helped to deliver the 1,646m barrier installation complete, on budget and on time.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Safer with REBLOC 185A barriers
    March 8, 2022
    REBLOC says that its 185A barrier is the world’s first safety barrier to have the highest containment levels of H4a and H4b with the unmatched vehicle intrusion rating of VI2.
  • Italy’s renaissance bridge
    July 21, 2020
    Italian consulting company Italferr created a digital twin for designing the new Genoa bridge and won accolades at Bentley Systems: Bentley Year in Infrastructure Awards
  • Tensar’s Glasstex makes the grade in UK’s Smart Motorway upgrade
    February 27, 2017
    A Stress Absorbing Membrane Interlayer is delivering stronger, safer and more reliable surfaces for the UK’s M3 Smart Motorways project in the southern England.
  • India’s longest tolled expressway is open to traffic
    January 2, 2013
    Earlier this year, a new expressway was opened to traffic in India, adding connectivity to the country’s road network - Mike Woof reports. India’s economic growth has fuelled a massive construction boom in the country. Road building has been set as a priority by the Indian Government to help ensure continued economic development and improve connectivity between major population centres. One major new expressway has recently opened to traffic, having been designed to international standards and provides insi