In early 2023, flooding from heavy rainstorms damaged roads and bridges across California. In San Luis Obispo County, Acrow’s modular steel bridges restored access on impacted routes in two locations.

Near the city of Paso Robles, three culverts were washed out by the flooding and the road above collapsed, cutting off access to neighborhoods and a mining business. The route, used by first responders and for evacuation in the event of fire, had a temporary access road quickly rebuilt but required a longer-term detour solution. After excavation work to provide access for the crane-assisted launch, assembly of Acrow’s bridge began in early June. Once installed, it opened to traffic at the end of the month.

The second Acrow structure reconnected the community of Huasna. Floodwaters destroyed a bridge over the Arroyo Grande Creek along an emergency route in and out of the remote Huasna Valley that provides access to several large ranches and National Forest lands, so restoring access as quickly as possible was critical. Assembly of Acrow’s modular steel bridge began in early July. The bridge was installed with a full cantilever launch and opened to traffic in early August.

The bridge near Paso Robles is 170 feet (51.82m) in length, while the bridge in Huasna is 180 feet long (54.86m). Both are single-lane bridges with a curb-to-curb dimension of 13.78 feet (4.2m) and have epoxy aggregate decks. Delivery of the components to both sites was difficult due to narrow, winding roads, and in the case of the Paso Robles project, components were delivered over damaged roads. The bridges, rented to Souza Construction, Inc. (the installation contractor for San Luis Obispo County on both projects), will remain in place for several years, until permanent crossings are designed and constructed.