Ohio DOT’s First Time Using Bridge Launching Method
When the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) determined it was time to replace the State Route 8 (SR 8) bridge over the Little Cuyahoga River just north of the Akron city limits, the site presented a daunting set of obstacles to overcome. Some feet beneath the existing structural steel arch bridge built in 1953, lies not only a waterway, but also five rail lines, a school bus depot and maintenance facility, a road, and a high-power line. Practicality as well as safety called for a unique approach: phased incremental launched installation or, in shorthand, “bridge launching.”
The $158 million project is being constructed by a joint venture formed by Ohio contractors Ruhlin Company of Sharon Center, Ohio, and Great Lakes Construction Company of Hinckley, Ohio, under a design-bid-build contract. The SR 8 bridge is the first time that ODOT is using the launching method.
