Virginia Street Bridge Reno, Nevada

Project description

For more than 100 years, the historic Virginia Street Bridge carried residents and visitors over the Truckee River into the heart of the “biggest little city” in the country. But after a severe flood in 1997, studies revealed flood-control concerns. As a result, the City of Reno, in partnership with Truckee River Flood Management Authority, U.S. Army Civil Corps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration, instituted a plan to replace the bridge while preserving its distinguished history. The project included demolition of the existing bridge, and construction of a new reinforced concrete, rigid frame, bowstring truss bridge using an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) method. A river access plaza adjacent to the main City Plaza was also added to increase recreational use of the Truckee River. Construction of the bridge began in June 2015 and was completed in April 2016.

The project team voluntarily implemented facilitated partnering at the project outset to immediately align the team, develop innovations and mitigate various challenges, including garnering support and approval for the unprecedented ABC building method in the region, and communicating with the public to mitigate their concerns. Despite encountering unknown soil contamination at the site, the project remained on budget and schedule while even adding owner requested scope to enhance the overall project.

Partnering results