Modular steel bridge serves as a temporary detour in Canada (with related video)

An 88.6-foot-long Acrow bridge, with a roadway that is 42 feet wide, is serving as a temporary detour during the replacement of two bridges on Autoroute 40, a main transportation route outside of Montreal in the province of Quebec.

Contractor Groupe Hexagone purchased the bridge to safely facilitate both traffic and construction. An estimated 43,000 vehicles cross the Acrow bridge every day.

The bridge carries three lanes of Autoroute 40 traffic, diverted from two highway bridges that are under construction. Traffic flows eastbound and westbound. The detour bridge is situated beside the two bridges under construction. Autoroute 40 serves as the main truck route between Montreal and all points west.

According to Benoit Forget, Quebec regional director at Acrow Canada, “Traffic volumes on Autoroute 40 are perhaps the highest in Quebec, with truck loading typically as heavy as 63 metric tonnes.” The detour bridge is one of the wider through-type bridges that Acrow has produced in its 60-year history. Acrow Corporation of America is based in Parsippany, N.J.

By purchasing a modular steel bridge over a traditional concrete and steel temporary detour bridge, the contractor will be able to reuse the Acrow bridge on future projects. All the contractor need do is use more or fewer bridge components to achieve the desired length, width and strength.

The sturdy structure can be installed and removed quickly and economically, according to the manufacturer. “Our detour solution is helping to minimize work zone impact, maintaining traffic flow while protecting construction workers and motorists,” said Acrow’s Forget.

The detour bridge features the fabricator’s standard steel decking overlaid with asphalt. Acrow’s models can be rented or purchased. They are durable and easy to assemble, disassemble, transport, store and customize for future use.

The bridges used as temporary detours address two issues during highway and road construction. By providing a temporary roadway that is predictable and unchanging, traffic disruptions are reduced while the safety of motorists and construction workers is enhanced. The temporary roadway is a safe, fast and economical alternative to “phased” construction in which lanes are moved as needed to divert traffic around work sites.

Acrow detour units meet multiple highway transportation standards. They transport and assemble quickly; they can be built and erected in a matter of hours or days. The company offers a line of modular steel bridging for vehicle, rail, shipping, military and pedestrian use.

This video showcases Acrow’s primary business, which is the engineering, manufacturing, and supply of prefabricated modular steel bridges.