City redesigns prominent bridge
In August, Dublin, Ohio, completed reconstruction of the Avery-Muirfield Drive Bridge. The anchored end-span bridge, the first of its type in the state, carries traffic over a six-lane divided highway and marks the entrance to the world-renowned Muirfield Village Golf Club.
The existing two-lane, four-span bridge was a conventional highway steel beam bridge with capped column piers and stub-type abutments. Besides its drab appearance, the bridge did not meet current design standards. The three piers were situated less than 30 feet from the edge of the pavement and were shielded by a guardrail. Additionally, the vertical clearance over the highway was less than 15 feet.
The city needed to reconstruct the bridge to provide a minimum clearance of 17 feet and to eliminate the guardrails. Dublin contracted with Columbus, Ohio-based Burgess & Niple in February 1998 to design a replacement bridge. The company designed a three-span, continuous, steel-girder bridge that appears to motorists as a single clear span with no center support. The design improved the safety of the site by removing hazards from within 30 feet of the highway, and it provided vertical clearance with a minimal raise in the overpass profile. Additionally, the deck was widened to carry six lanes of traffic and two combination bikeway/walkways.
The general contractor, Columbus, Ohio-based Complete General Construction, began building one half of the new bridge next to the existing bridge, which was kept open for traffic. When the first half was completed, the existing bridge was demolished, and the rest of the new bridge was built.
The city contracted with Columbus, Ohio-based James Burkart Associates to provide $1.5 million in aesthetic improvements and landscaping around the bridge. The firm constructed two ponds within the existing loop ramps of the interchange; installed lighted fountains, stone walls, plants and an irrigation system; and added lighting on the bridge and within landscaped areas.
The city used an interest-free, 20-year loan from the state and city funds to pay for the $9.3 million project. The resulting bridge and surrounding landscape define the gateway to the city for residents and visitors to the annual Memorial Tournament at the golf club.
