Des Plaines Valley Bridge

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The Des Plaines River Valley Bridge project is the largest portion of the Illinois State Toll and Highway Authority’s $738 Million Interstate I-355 South Extension Corridor Improvement Plan. The 6,600 foot long bridge spans three rivers, two railroads, three road ways, and carries six lanes of Interstate 355 traffic over the town of Lemont, Illinois. Walsh adhered to strict environmental guidelines and started the project with a strong respect for the natural wildlife and the goals of both the Illinois Toll and Highway Authority and the EPA. The fall protection used on this project was custom engineered into the bridge’s pre-cast concrete beams. The project’s safety plan worked, and after over 353,000 man-hours and a 19-month construction schedule there were no major incidences. The Des Plaines River Valley Bridge is the second largest bridge built in Illinois and the first of its kind using the Bulb-T Design. The 612 pre-stressed/post-tensioned girders are some of the largest in Illinois, if not the United States.