The Smart Road Bridge Over Wilson Creek

Type

Cast-in-place cantilever box girder bridge, only one of its kind in Virginia

Unique Features

The bridge is hollow. Beneath the riding surface, the box girders are open. They are 18 feet wide and vary in height from 12-35 feet

Power and communication lines run the length of the bridge so that researchers can install testing equipment.

Height

At 175 feet above Wilson Creek, the Smart Road bridge is Virginia’s tallest bridge. The second-tallest bridge in Virginia is the Varina-Enon bridge over the James River in Henrico County; it is 157 feet tall.

Weight

Approximately 40 million pounds

About 9,647 cubic yards of high-strength concrete were used

Steel cables weigh more than 780,900 pounds

Reinforcing steel weighs 1,565,321 pounds

Width

40 feet

Length

About 2,000 feet.

Spans

Three 472-foot spans and two 283-foot spans

Railing

Called “Kansas corral,” the concrete railing allows motorists a better view

Construction Began

August 1998

Cost

$17.4 million

Contractor

PCL Civil Constructors Inc. of Denver, Colorado

Designer

Figg Engineering Inc. of Florida

Partners

Virginia Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

A Citizens Advisory Committee selected certain visual features of the bridge.

Return to the Smart Road project summary page.