Speedy bridge lift by Mammoet

International heavy lift and transport specialist Mammoet has replaced a 2,100 tonne bridge over a highway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in a record time of 2.5 hours.

The replacement of the 85 metre long Lees Avenue Bridge in Ottawa is the heaviest one to be carried out in Ontario. Mammoet was commissioned by Tomlinson Ltd to carry out the project.

The bridge was installed using 96 axles of self propelled modular transporter (SPMT), built and designed by Mammoet and specialized trailer manufacturer Scheuerle, Mammoet said.

Challenges during the lift were presented by the curved design of the bridge. This made it difficult to align the transporters beneath the bridge, a spokesperson said. The move was also carried out over a curved section of the motorway, adding to the challenge. Despite this, the bridge was installed in 2.5 hours, beating the expected time frame of between four and six hours.

Steve Cripps, professional engineer and director at the Rail Implementation Office for the City of Ottawa, said, “This heavy lift project was well planned and executed and an excellent example of the teamwork required to deliver the Highway 417 component of the OLRT Project. This project was another first in North America; the heaviest lift of a multi-span structure over a freeway to date.”

Vipin Bansal, MBA, estimation and design builds manager, said, “Once again, Mammoet with their hard work and efforts has proved that they are the number one best company to perform rapid lift bridge replacements. The Lees Ave rapid Bridge Replacement went without a glitch and it was a great team effort to make this project successful.”