The Hawaiian Department of Transportation needed a minor miracle. A bridge weighing more than 1600 tons would cross a ravine two football fields long and almost 200 feet deep.
The transportation department’s initial building plan was too costly in terms of materials, complexity, and environmental impact. Extraordinary construction challenges had to be overcome, chiefly the impact on the pristine nature of Kealakaha Stream and the surrounding area. Hawaiian Dredging is committed to preserving the environment in all the work we undertake. Our team engineered a first-in-Hawaii custom bridge and formed a crack team of veteran crews to pull it together.
We implemented a super girder system employed by the Washington State Department of Transportation but which was unavailable in Hawaii. Segments were manufactured in Spokane and shipped to the Big Island. The super girders simplified the bridge deck construction with resultant savings in cost and environmental impact.
Our design improvements required half the originally planned bridge height with significant reductions in drilling and manpower expenditures. The bridge was completed on time and within budget. Nowhere is our commitment to the state and its citizens more visible than in our contributions to public infrastructure.
Map it: Kealakaha Stream Bridge
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