In September of 2006, Lunda Construction Company was awarded a $30,000,000 contract to build the new lift bridge crossing the Bay of Green Bay in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Using an accelerated project schedule, construction began in October 2006 working toward an October 1, 2008 completion date. Lunda Construction Company was later awarded a subcontract on the $3,000,000 City of Sturgeon Bay approach contract. The two projects entailed the construction of two abutments, eighteen piers, an operator’s control house, a structural steel double leaf rolling bascule lift spanning the navigational channel, a light weight concrete deck placed on the bascule span, eight steel sheeting/concrete protection cells and fender system to protect the bascule piers, eight spans of 54” prestress girders with a nine inch concrete deck, ten spans of cast in place concrete haunch slab spans, concrete sidewalks, decorative concrete parapet with brick faced pilasters, steel railing, approach grading and paving.

The substructure concrete work consisted of construction of two abutments, ten land piers, and eight water piers. This included 15,000 lineal feet of 14” H-Piling, 9,600 lineal feet of 10” H-piling, 853,000 pounds of reinforcement steel, 8,800 cubic yards of substructure concrete, and 6,300 cubic yards of seal concrete. The eight water piers were built using steel sheet pile cofferdams up to 55’ by 95’ in size and driven 50’ into the water and bay bottom. The excavated materials were placed in a dredge barge and taken to a disposal site. The concrete seals were poured underwater and the cofferdams were dewatered to allow the concrete piers to be constructed.

The superstructure consisting of 1,850,000 pounds of structural steel, 3,500 cubic yards of concrete, 465,000 pounds of reinforcing steel, and 3,700 lineal feet of 54W” prestress girders was divided into three distinct construction operations. The first operation consisted of the ten concrete haunch slab spans. The second operation consisted of the eight 54W” prestress girder spans. The third and controlling operation consisted of the 231’-6” double leaf rolling bascule span. This is a structural steel span with a seven inch light weight concrete deck.

The bascule span was constructed half at a time to allow navigational traffic during construction. The bascule span construction was also staged to allow commercial shipping traffic access through the channel when access through the bay was not possible due to ice restrictions. Extensive coordination and cooperation was required with government agencies, the owner, the engineer, the subcontractors, and suppliers to accomplish the project in the allotted time frame.

The bascule span pier protection fender system is made up of eight 25’-6” diameter pier protection cells consisting of 55 foot long steel sheet piles and 75 foot long 14” H-pile driven around the perimeter of the cell. These cells were excavated 40 foot below water level and filled with a combination of concrete and stone aggregate material. The fender system between the cells consisted of 75 foot long 14” H-pile, timber fender material, steel reinforcing cable, and rubber bumpers. The quantities for the protection system are 4,700 lineal foot of 14” H-pile, 955,000 pounds of steel sheeting, 24,000 board feet of timber fender, 10,000 pounds of steel cable and hardware, 2,500 cubic yards of concrete, and 4,200 cubic yards of stone aggregate.