Bridges - Benesch

Creating and Maintaining Connections

In communities small and large, bridges play a vital role—they connect workers to jobs, children to schools and one community to another. Benesch has been dedicated to creating, maintaining and improving these connections for over 75 years. Providing safe, accessible structures for users of all kinds while maximizing your program dollars remains our top priority.

From stream crossings and precast culverts to complex, high-profile bridges in urban environments, Benesch has inspected, analyzed and designed thousands of structures. Whether you need an innovative solution to a complex challenge or a simple design that relies on industry best practices, our experts will find the right approach.

A Trusted Partner at Every Stage

From planning and design through to construction and maintenance, Benesch has the bridge expertise to tackle any project at any stage. Whether you need a bridge study conducted, a final design on an accelerated schedule or a trusted partner to oversee construction, we can help.

During the planning stage of a project, careful research and analysis is needed to determine what type of bridge is suitable for the specific location and project requirements. By bringing together a team with diverse expertise, we can perform a comprehensive bridge type study that takes into consideration factors such as site conditions, traffic patterns, budgetary constraints, environmental impacts, and cultural and community preferences. Our team can also support you in finding and applying for grants to fund your planning projects.

Even at this early stage, we bring an unparalleled attention to detail that will help you understand and mitigate potential risks associated with any bridge type, explore construction methods that will maximize your budget and schedule, and consider long-term maintenance requirements based on the given environmental conditions.

Planning Services

At Benesch, we design functional, safe and aesthetically pleasing structures that will be built to last. Using a comprehensive and strategic approach, our licensed structural engineers and multidisciplinary designers tackle every challenge collaboratively. We’re home to structural, hydraulic, geotechnical and environmental experts who work together to consider each project’s unique requirements, site conditions, safety standards, environmental impacts and stakeholder needs.

Further, our more than 75 years of experience designing complex structures allows us to apply innovative design and construction techniques when feasible. From accelerated bridge techniques to complex girder erection sequences over navigable waterways, we don’t just know how to design a bridge—we know what it takes to design a bridge that can be built within the context of its environment.

Together, our team lays the groundwork for successful construction and performance of your structure long after the ribbon cutting is complete.

Design Services

Our CE&I experts provide critical oversight, quality assurance and construction management expertise for bridge projects, ensuring that the constructed bridge aligns with the approved design, meets quality and safety standards and complies with regulations. We also work hand-in-hand with the contractor to help keep the project on schedule and within budget.

Our full-time construction staff is comprised of professional engineers, inspectors and more. We have extensive experience with projects over major waterways, interstates, railroads and more. Using our knowledge of construction techniques, advancing technology and management methods, we expertly tackle phased construction projects, arrange complex staging plans, find innovative ways to solve challenges as they occur, and communicate with stakeholders about impacts to their property and travel.

Construction Management Services

Inspections and proper maintenance are essential for ensuring the safety, structural integrity and long-term functionality of your bridges. That’s why it is important to have a partner you can trust. Benesch is home to dozens of certified inspectors across the country; over the course of our firm’s history we’ve inspected tens of thousands of structures large and small, urban and rural—and always with safety and longevity in mind.

To provide accurate and efficient inspections, we are continually testing and implementing new technologies and workflows. In many areas, we are now using drone technology to collect inspection data and create digital twins that can be used to identify maintenance and repair needs.

Bridge Inspection Services

With your community’s future in mind, our experts are able to develop, implement and maintain asset management programs and databases. This will help prioritize the needs of your bridge program, manage inspection schedules and ensure data is on hand to fuel decision making.

Asset Management Services

Expertise Across All Bridge Types

We’ve built our reputation on our structural expertise, and we flex those abilities on a broad range of project types for local agencies and state DOTs alike. Whether you’re replacing a simple creek crossing, rehabilitating a complex highway interchange, establishing a new multimodal gateway bridge to an urban center, or anything in between–Benesch is ready to be your partner.

image of 400-foot blue truss railroad bridge loaded onto a self propelled modular transporter, waiting to be slid into its permanent position — Backed by decades of experience working with every Class I railroad, we understand the complexities inherent in designing and building rail structures. Our structural engineers bring an extensive track record for successfully implementing accelerated bridge construction techniques to ensure limited impacts to rail operations. We’ve developed innovative design approaches that save months—and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars—during construction.

night time photo of a pedestrian bridge in Three Bridges Park in Milwaukee, with decorative lighting across the covered structure — Pedestrian structures blend form with function, often requiring economical designs in order to minimize impacts to the natural environment while still enhancing parks and recreational facilities for their users. From materials to structure types, our engineers work alongside local agencies and their stakeholders to select the best alternatives to support the public outdoor spaces they seek to create.

Aerial view of the newly constructed I-74 Mississippi River bridge, consisting of two arch structures carrying four lanes of traffic each — Benesch engineers have left their mark on dozens of major river crossings across the country, including massive structures over the Mississippi. These impressive crossings are generally part of larger interstate corridors comprising complex interchanges and arterial connections, miles of new roadway supported by ancillary structures and more—to all of which we bring extensive planning, design and construction management experience.

evening shot of the Penny Bridges — Our approach to local agency bridge work: involve stakeholders, understand context, and seek a value-focused solution. We know every dollar counts when it comes to maintaining local infrastructure, and we’re prepared to provide designs that minimize lifecycle costs, incorporate area aesthetics and accommodate growing communities. We often work with neighborhood advisory groups and conduct value planning sessions to ensure project success.

aerial view of I-124 interchange in Chattanooga, TN — Urban interchange rehabilitations often require sophisticated designs to accommodate increased capacity, faster design speeds and dense—growing—urban environments. We have a strong track record for partnering with state departments of transportation to determine the best ways to improve these structures, and we bring a value-focused approach to assessing staged construction options that will limit impacts to high capacity corridors.

3D rendering of the Throop Street bridge, which will be built as part of the Lincoln Yards development in Chicago. it is a signature arch structure over the Chicago River. — Signature bridges are a specialty of ours. Benesch engineers work alongside architects to design gateway structures that enhance aesthetics and make an impact, all while addressing complex constraints of the surrounding environment and ensuring the design choices we make are economically—and structurally–sound. Early on in the bridge type study process, we consider all environmental, hydraulic and navigational concerns that could impact our design decisions.

photo of the new Elgin O'Hare flyover structure during construction, showing curved girders spanning the construction site — When it comes to building new flyover structures within constrained right-of-way, Benesch has the structural expertise to navigate the complexities involved. Projects like these require a keen understanding of how maintenance of traffic and construction sequencing impact the selected design alternative. Early in the design process, we weigh the pros and cons of potential structure types in terms of cost, time required to construct, and the long-term impact on transportation networks.

Aerial view of the I-94 bridge outside of Detroit, which is a blue arch bridge with football shaped ribs in honor of the city hosting the Super Bowl the year it was constructed — When it comes to true arch bridges, understanding site conditions is critical to achieving a constructable design. Even on the toughest terrain, Benesch’s structural expertise allows us to address redundancy issues and compensate for unstable soils that might otherwise render a desired design aesthetic impossible. Bolstered by our in-house geotechnical and construction staff, constructability remains top of mind.

Side view photo of the rehabilitation of Davis Avenue Bridge in Greenwich, Connecticut

Maximizing Local Program Dollars

By employing a strategic approach to optimizing the use of available funds, we can ensure your structures meet both your budget constraints and your community’s needs. Through value engineering and smart resource allocation, we deliver cost-effective solutions without compromising on safety or quality. Our commitment to efficiency, sustainability, and effective project management ensures that you achieve the best possible return on your program budget.

Side view photo of the Davis Avenue Bridge in Greenwich, Connecticut

Benesch’s creative and professional design approach and inspection services (…) allowed us to bring this 20th century bridge up to 21st century standards.

James W, Michel, PE | Deputy Commissioner of Public Works, Town of Greenwich

For the Town of Greenwich, the aging Davis Avenue Bridge was no longer keeping up with the community’s needs. Recognizing the need to rehabilitate and upgrade the bridge, the town secured funding through the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Plan (LOTCIP) administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). With the funds in place, they turned to Benesch to help them maximize their dollars and improve access for vehicles and pedestrians alike.

By providing comprehensive engineering, design and construction inspection services, Benesch was able to restore the structural integrity of the 1930s-era bridge and improve vehicular and pedestrian access—all while maintaining Greenwich’s link to the past.

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Aerial view photo of I-75 over the Rouge River in Michigan

Accelerating Construction to Improve Communities Faster

Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques continue to revolutionize the way bridges are built with their efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness. Our experts are implementing innovative engineering and construction practices on projects across the country to significantly reduce construction time and minimize disruptions to traffic and nearby communities.

In Detroit, ABC techniques were used on the I-75 bridge over the Rouge River to replace 1,200,000 square feet of existing bridge deck within two construction seasons, minimizing disruption to travelers and surrounding residents.

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Innovating Workflows with Digital Twin Technology

Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors can now efficiently access challenging and remote areas, providing detailed visual data that was once difficult and time-consuming to obtain.

These digital twins are enhancing the way we inspect and maintain structures, leading to more informed decision making, optimized maintenance schedules, and the ability proactively address structural concerns. Ultimately, this innovative approach helps to extend the lifespan and safety of critical infrastructure.

Close-up photo of metal trusses at SR-33 over Clinch River in Tennessee

Complex Sequencing Support for Contractors

Facing a complex sequencing challenge? Benesch has the solution. Whether you’re constructing over a complex waterway or are navigating unique topography, Benesch can develop girder erection plans and offer the support needed for project success. We assist contractors across the country to determine how best to construct major bridges in any situation.

Check out the article linked below to explore some of the unique erection challenges our engineers have tackled.

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