[VIDEO] 'NASCAR Version' of VDOT Bridge Swap

Aug. 13, 2019

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently replaced a 61-year-old bridge over the course of a weekend. According to an article in Popular Science, to prevent creating extra traffic in the area, VDOT decided to do “the NASCAR pit stop version” of bridge replacement, replacing the 87-foot span of concrete and steel in a mere 54 hours.

To do this, VDOT first built the replacement bridge in pieces nearby and loaded them onto trucks, so all sections were ready for assembly. In addition, the team pre-fit the pieces together to ensure they would fit. The bridge's full replacement was caught on camera in the timelapse below.

The team ran into minimal issues along the way, such as estimating how far back to cut the walls of the concrete to make room for the new bridge. However, Popular Science reports that several residents were pleased with the quick-change operation. 

According to the article, the bridge was one of several in a Seven Corners intersection in Falls Church, Virginia. The overpass crosses a busy commuter route in Washington, D.C.

Source: Popular Science