Tamworth Street Bridge

The Tamworth Street Bridge Replacement over the Hayes Drain Project involved the complete removal of a deteriorated single-lane bridge originally built during the 1920s with a new single lane bridge using four-sided precast box sections, precast wingwalls, cast-in-place headwalls, and a glulam timber guardrail system with an architectural finish. This project also included MDEQ permit application, hydraulic analysis, stream realignment, roadway vertical and horizontal alignments, utility coordination and ROW/Easement document preparation. HRC also provided construction administration assistance and shop drawing submittal reviews.

The design for the replacement structure was complicated. Several of the design constraints and requirements are as follows:

• RCOC required the implementation of an accelerated design and construction schedule.
• Adjacent to the existing bridge is a historic barn within a township park. Damage to this structure was not acceptable.
• Stream diversion/bypass and limited construction staging area required the use of a temporary, closed cell conduit over which the contractor’s equipment could travel while maintaining stream flow at all times.
• Hayes Creek converged with the Huron River immediately downstream of bridge.
• Soils investigations revealed poor in situ very moist peat conditions that extended to about 8’ below grade.
• Final bridge aesthetics were important and had to be compatible with the surrounding environment.
• Extensive utility relocations were required.
• Economically feasible.

The final design solution that accommodated these constraints and requirements was to use four-sided precast box sections, precast wingwalls, cast-in-place headwalls, and a glulam timber guardrail system with an architectural finish.