Bob Michel Bridge

Details
Location: Peoria, Ill.
Service: Alignment and assessment studies
Project Cost: $36 million
Client/Owner: Illinois Department of Transportation
Completed: 1989

Description
The former Franklin Street Bridge, constructed in 1913, spanned the Illinois River in the heart of Peoria, Ill.  The bridge provided a direct connection between the Peoria central business district and industrial development in East Peoria.  The bridge also served as a major connector for numerous workers who lived in East Peoria and other communities on the east side of the river to offices in the Peoria central business district.  

Challenges
The former 70-year-old bridge was a low-level truss bridge with a bascule-type drawbridge over the navigation channel. The narrow opening severely restricted barge traffic through the site. The bridge carried only two lanes of traffic on a narrow superstructure with poor horizontal alignment. Existing and forecasted traffic volumes indicated an immediate need for additional lanes at this river crossing location.

Services
Hanson was retained to prepare a location/design study, environmental assessment, foundation investigations and type, size and location drawings for the proposed structure.
     
Hanson’s engineering studies involved both the bridge and the roadway approaches.  The bridge height required special geometric treatment for grade separation over a nearby railroad crossing of the river and access to streets in both Peoria and East Peoria. The distribution of traffic along surface streets via ramps involved forecasting traffic volumes and capacity as well as preparing geometric design for traffic signalization.  These studies also included evaluating facilities that provided cost-effective construction with minimal adverse environmental impacts.
           
Additionally, Hanson conducted hydraulic studies in the floodplain area, which extended into East Peoria, and the impact of nearby Farm Creek required unique engineering analyses.  Hanson prepared a geotechnical report, a hydraulic report and permit application for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard.

A field sampling program was developed based on current and former property uses, areas of known past spills, and locations of aboveground and below storage tanks.  The programs included near-surface soil sampling of soil and ground water at the water table in selected locations.
           
Three type, size and location drawings were prepared for the river crossing.  Main span, steel alternatives were considered in the bridge type study phase, which included a tied arch, a continuous truss and steel-plate girders.  Only a segmental box was considered for the concrete alternative main spans.  Plate girders for the steel alternatives and precast bulb tees for the concrete alternative were considered for the approach spans.  The 2,165-foot-long structure has a 360-foot navigation span.

Type, size and location drawings were also prepared for the industrial spur over the P&PU railroad; the BNSF Railway Co. (BNSF) railroad and Camp Street; the River Road over Farm Creek; and Washington Street over Farm Creek.

After the study, the Illinois Department of Transportation elected to present a set of drawings with only the steel-plate girder main span with either the plate girder approach spans or the bulb tee approach spans.