When a state inspection found serious deterioration in the piers of the 87-year old Paumalu Stream Bridge, a plan for expedited repairs was undertaken to avoid further structural damage. The bridge is situated on Kamehameha Highway, one of the busiest roads on Oahu’s north shore. A bridge replacement was estimated to require a full closure of the route for up to two years, so an innovative solution from Acrow was chosen.

The temporary structure was a standard Acrow bridge with special floor beams and steel underneath that wrapped around the existing bridge to provide the support needed to allow continued traffic flow during the rehabilitation.

Using innovative installation techniques, Acrow’s structure was successfully assembled with a truss line on each side of the old bridge and rolled into position. The support beams were then installed underneath, along with the special support members for the old bridge.

The project posed many challenges, from detail engineering to fit up to the existing bridge, to complicated installation of the structure while live traffic was still traveling the busy highway.

With Acrow’s solution in place, Hawaii Department of Transportation employees were able to safely work on the construction and installation of collars for the original piers.