For more information, contact:Sarah Soula, NDOT Public Involvement | sarah.soula@nebraska.gov | 402-479-4871Mark Kovar, NDOT District 8 Engineer | mark.kovar@nebraska.gov | 402-387-2471

NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

DISTRICT 8 FLOOD RECOVERYER-11-4(120), C.N. 81038 | ER-281-4(130), C.N. 81039

FLOOD RECOVERYAfter the historic flooding and widespread damage across the state, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) has identified several flood recovery projects in District 8 that must be completed to restore transportation assets and the mobility of the traveling public. Due to the emergency nature of these projects, their completion may be given precedence over the district’s previously scheduled projects.

OPEN HOUSE MEETINGThursday, June 27, 20199:30 to 11:00 a.m. CST

Holt County Annex128 N. 6th StreetO’Neill, NE 68763

HWY 11 SOUTH OF BUTTE; ER-11-4(120), C.N. 81038This proposed project would repair the bridge structure over the Niobrara River on Nebraska Highway 11 (N-11) south of Butte, NE. Approximately 1,500 feet of pavement on N-11 would also be replaced and reconstructed. Construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed in fall 2019. This section of N-11 would remain closed during construction, and traffic would continue to be detoured according to the posted signs.

HWY 281 SOUTH OF SPENCER; ER-281-4(130), C.N. 81039This proposed project would involve constructing a new bridge structure over the Niobrara River and repairing the existing bridge structure over the Niobrara River on U.S. Highway 281 (US-281) south of Spencer, NE. It would also include constructing a temporary bridge and roadway to restore traffic on US-281. The temporary bridge would be expected to open by August 2019, and the permanent bridge would be anticipated to open in summer 2020. Until the temporary roadway is in place, this section of US-281 would remain closed, and traffic would continue to be detoured per posted signs.

0 10 205Miles

O’Neill

Valentine

281

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2020

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LEGENDDistrict 8 Boundary

Project Location0 10 205

Miles

When will repairs be made?NDOT intends to restore traveling routes as soon as possible. The time it takes to complete repairs will vary depending on the availability of resources. In some cases, a temporary repair will be made to restore traffic flow while the permanent repair is designed and constructed.

Why are these flood response projects taking so long?The flood response projects are not simple repairs. Flooding caused serious changes to the stream banks and caused underwater damage to bridge structures leaving some unstable. Engineers have conducted assessments and are working with contractors to find the most efficient ways to make repairs. The process to design, contract and build these repairs has been iterative and takes time.

Where can I find information about scheduled repairs in my area?Information about the Nebraska Department of Transportation’s (NDOT) flood recovery efforts will be made available and updated at https://dot.nebraska.gov/news-media/nebraska-flood-2019/. For information specific to your district, see contact information below.

Information regarding county or local street projects may be available through their respective websites or by contacting their offices directly.

How long will detours be in place?The duration of detours will vary depending on the project. For more detailed information on the detours impacting your travel, please refer to Nebraska 511 Traveler Information.

Who is paying for the emergency repairs?To date, the State of Nebraska and local agencies received $25 million in federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation under the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief (ER) program. Additional federal funds may be available to lessen the financial burden on the State of Nebraska.

How long will it take to repair a damaged bridge?Bridges that have been damaged by flooding will receive a level of repair that will restore traffic flow as much as possible. However, size or weight restrictions may be required, and a temporary detour route will be established for loads exceeding posted limits. These safe temporary repairs are not intended as a permanent solution and will remain in place while permanent bridges meeting even higher standards are designed and then constructed.

Will the flood impact other projects around the state?NDOT is currently evaluating options for previously scheduled projects as much as resources will allow. NDOT will prioritize projects accordingly.

What is NDOT going to do with the roads used for temporary detours that were not designed to carry the current traffic loads?NDOT will repair roads damaged by the additional detoured traffic loads. In addition, cities and counties can request additional funding for repairs and maintenance associated with the detoured flood traffic.

What does the term “shoofly” mean?A shoofly is often used when practical to help motorists avoid lengthy detour routes. It’s a temporary road or structure placed at the project location to allow traffic to flow as construction is taking place.

NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

DISTRICT 8 FLOOD RECOVERYFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For more information, contact:Sarah Soula, NDOT Public Involvement | sarah.soula@nebraska.gov | 402-479-4871Mark Kovar, NDOT District 8 Engineer | mark.kovar@nebraska.gov | 402-387-2471

Nebraska Department of Transportation

STATEWIDE FLOOD RECOVERYThe State of Nebraska experienced widespread, devastating damage during the historic flooding of March 2019, and NDOT staff immediately began working around the clock to restore roadways for safe travel.

To date, the State of Nebraska has received $25 million in federal assistance to make immediate emergency repairs.

• We have identified state and local projects throughout four of the state’s eight districts that will be eligible for funding under the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief (ER) program.

NDOT’s top priority at all times is to ensure the safe and efficient mobility of the traveling public, and NDOT is taking immediate action to address the catastrophic flooding while balancing the need to complete the existing non-flood related projects.

• Emergency repairs are currently being designed and implemented to restore traffic flow as much as possible.

• Projects previously planned to be completed during the 2019 construction season may be temporarily postponed to accommodate flood response projects.

The flooding resulted in an estimated $146 million in damages to the state highway system and $30 million to local roads.

Approximately 200 miles of pavement required rehabilitation, like this section of Nebraska Highway 12 (N-12) east of Niobrara.

A total of 27 damaged state bridges are being repaired or replaced, like the Elkhorn River Bridge on Nebraska Highway 275 (N-275) west of Omaha.

Nebraska Department of Transportation

DISTRICT 8 FLOOD RECOVERYAfter the historic flooding event and widespread damage across the State of Nebraska, the Nebraska Department of Transporation (NDOT) has identified several flood recovery projects in District 8 that must be completed to restore transportation assets and the mobility of the traveling public.

The District 8 emergency projects (locations indicated on the map to the right) include the following:

• Hwy 11 South of Butte; ER-11-4(120), C.N. 81038• Hwy 281 South of Spencer; ER-281-4(130), C.N. 81039

Due to the emergency nature of these projects, their completion may be given precedence over the district’s previously scheduled projects; NDOT is currently evaluating options and will honor their commitments to previously scheduled projects as much as resources will allow.

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Restoring safe and efficient travel of Nebraska’s highways is NDOT’s top priority.

LEGENDDistrict 8 BoundaryProject Location

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Nebraska Department of Transportation District 8 Flood Recovery

HWY 11 SOUTH OF BUTTE

WHAT HAPPENEDHigh velocity flood waters and large amounts of ice damaged the bridge, bending the steel beams that support the concrete driving surface and moving the bridge downstream and off its supports. PLANNED REPAIRThe bridge will be lifted and moved upstream back onto new supports. The entire concrete driving surface will be removed in order to replace portions of the severely damaged steel beams, and straighten other damaged steel beams and steel components. And then a new concrete driving surface will be installed.

SCHEDULE• Construction began in June 2019• The bridge is forecasted to be open fall 2019

MAP NOTTO SCALE

NIOBRARA RIVER

HWY N-11

Nebraska Department of Transportation District 8 Flood Recovery

HWY 281 SOUTH OF SPENCER

WHAT HAPPENEDFlood waters coupled with rapid snow melt created an extraordinary flood surge that breached the Spencer Dam washing out approximately 1,000 feet of U.S. Highway 281 (US-281). In its place, a new river channel was created severing a critical connection between Hold and Boyd Counties. PLANNED REPAIRThis project required design for temporary and permanent repairs. The permanent repairs include constructing a new 1,055-foot bridge and approach roadways on US-281. Temporary repairs to restore US-281 include constructing a temporary bridge and roadway.

SCHEDULE• Temporary bridge to be open by August 2019• Permanent bridge to be open fall 2020

NIOBRARA RIVER

TEMPORARY SINGLE-LANE ROAD (SHOOFLY) TEMPORARY SINGLE-LANE ROAD (SHOOFLY)TEMPORARY BRIDGE

NEW 7-SPAN, 1055’-0” BRIDGE EXISTING BRIDGE TO BE REPAIRED AND USED IN PLACE

The temporary bridge will be open for one lane of traffic while the permanent

bridge is constructed. All legal loads will be allowed on the temporary bridge, but there will be

a width restriction of 14’-0”.

Nebraska Department of Transportation

TEMPORARY BRIDGESHwy 12 West of Niobrara; ER-12-5(122), C.N. 32320The temporary bridge will be open for one lane of traffic while the permanent bridge is constructed. All legal loads will be allowed on the temporary bridge, but there will be a width restriction of 16’-0”. The existing Niobrara River Bridge will be weight restricted at 26 tons maximum for a single unit truck, and 27 tons maximum for the semi tractor/trailer.

Hwy 281 South of Spencer; ER-281-4(130), C.N. 81039The temporary bridge will be open for one lane of traffic while the permanent bridge is constructed. All legal loads will be allowed on the temporary bridge, but there will be a width restriction of 14’-0”.

Acrow’s Prefabricated Modular Steel Bridging Chosen for Mississippi DOT Project to Minimize Work Zone Impact during Major Bridge Replacement ProjectTemporary structures provide a cost-effective solution for maintaining heavy commercial

and noncommercial traffic flow while protecting construction workers

When the Mississippi DOT began to plan the project to replace nine

deficient bridges in North Mississippi, it was clear that three of the

bridges would require longer detour spans than the 30-40’ long

concrete spans customarily used by Mississippi contractors. Acrow’s

80’ long by 24’ wide truss panel spans were selected and combined

with the contractor’s shorter concrete spans, which serve as the

bridge approaches. In order to accommodate the different dimensions

of the Acrow and concrete spans, it was necessary to redesign the

contractor’s original substructure design.

The three 80’-long spans are installed on SR6 over Buck Bayou on the

outskirts of the city of Marks, and on US Highway 55 over Bobo Bayou

and Ashlog Bayou between Marks and Batesville. The area is home to

a vigorous timber and cotton industry, and both of these routes are vital

traffic corridors for commercial and noncommercial traffic.

“As this installation demonstrates, Acrow modular detour bridges are

a logical choice for state DOTs and contractors who need to stay on

or ahead of schedule,” said Bill Killeen, President and CEO of Acrow

Bridge. “Acrow modular detour bridges, available for rent or purchase,

are cost-effective and provide safe and dependable routes for area

residents and businesses.”

The three bridges were leased to Eutaw Construction, which was a

joint venture partner with Key Constructors. The design engineer was

the Pickering Firm, Inc. The first of the three spans was delivered and

installed in May 2016 with the other two delivered and installed in June

2016. It is expected the bridges will be in use through December 2016.

ACRO562-eutaw-sell-sheet-121216.indd 1 12/12/16 1:23 PM

Many other communities have used temporary bridges to safely accommodate traffic flow during a bridge replacement project.

Temporary Detour Structure Provides Enhanced Safety for Both Workers and Motorists During Highway Construction in IowaBypass bridge keeps traffic moving on Interstate 34

Interstate 34, an east-west highway that runs from the western

outskirts of Chicago to Granby, Colorado, is a major arterial surface

road across the southern part of Iowa. When it was determined that

an existing bridge structure in Chariton had extensive cracking of the

reinforced concrete deck, railing and substructure, and its existing

width of 28 feet was inadequate for the heavily traveled section, the

Iowa DOT looked to find a solution that would lessen the impact

on traffic during construction while providing a safer work zone by

separating traffic from construction activity.

A critical component of that solution was a temporary detour

structure rented from Acrow.

Because work zone accidents and fatalities continue to be an

increasing problem, the use of detour or bypass bridging provides

enhanced safety for both workers and the motoring public. The

Acrow bridge, rented to contractor Jensen Construction, is 200 feet

long by 30 feet wide and accommodates two lanes of traffic.

“Using a rental structure allows for a fixed dollar-amount to be

allocated to the detour bridge,” said Bill Killeen, President and CEO

of Acrow Bridge. “The rental market has gained a strong foothold in

the highway construction industry for its obvious safety benefits and

because it can help ensure the project stays on or ahead of schedule,

important for both contractors and state DOTs.”

The bridge was erected in May 2017 and it is expected it will be in

place until October 2017.

Temporary Multi-Span Panel Bridge Emergency Replacement for I-5 Bridge Collapse in Skagit County WA

After the collapse of the I-5 Bridge over the Skagit River in

Burlington, WA, the WSDOT had to find a quick and safe solution

to solving a financial disaster in the making. In conjunction with

Atkinson Construction and the WSDOT, an Acrow 700 XS panel

bridge was commandeered as an emergency temporary bridge

over the Skagit River.

The over height vehicle responsible for the accident impacted

the upper segments of the 1960’s through truss, compromising

its structural capabilities. This caused the bridge to collapse

into the river with no loss of life. Consequently, it created a traffic

nightmare with an immediate financial impact; Costco reported a

loss of $1 million in one day as a result of the traffic gridlock.

It was imperative that the highway bridge structure be repaired as

speedily as possible. The WSDOT awarded Atkinson Construction the

emergency contract 2 days after the incident, and Acrow became part

of the team to engineer a rapid solution for the bridge replacement.

Two 24 foot wide by 160 foot span Acrow bridges were designed

to replace the old 53 foot wide, 160 foot long bridge. However,

to commandeer this layout required a large crane which can take

multiple weeks and no suitable crane was available at the time.

A crane-assisted launch was also not possible since the existing

multi-span through truss would be an obstruction during the

placement of the temporary bridge. The only practical way to place

the bridge was to perform a full cantilever launch.

Special consideration and design input was needed for the Acrow

bridge pedestals. They were designed with the capability of sliding

the bridges sideways on Hilman rollers, which was necessary because

the through truss was 8 feet narrower than the Acrow structure.

Once the pedestals were in place, bridge one (north bound lanes) was

launched, jacked down onto Hilman rollers and moved eastwards,

cantilevered over the bridge pedestals, and positioned out of the

way to make room for the south bound bridge. The second bridge

was then jacked down and positioned on permanent bridge bearings,

6 inches from bridge one.

The deck was then situated, asphalted, and the temporary bridge was

formally opened on June 16, 2013 ready to receive the average daily

traffic volume of around 70,000 cars and trucks. The Acrow bridge will

be in place for approximately 4 months until a permanent bridge can

be constructed and moved into place.

Acrow Furnishes Rental Detour Bridge for FixFor41, a $25 Million Collaborative Construction Project Between Indiana and Kentucky Transportation DepartmentsRental structure will cut project timeline by one year

FixFor41 is a $25 million joint Infrastructure project between Indiana

and Kentuckythat involves rehabilitating seven bridges on U.S. Route

41 and the highway pavement between the bridges from near the U.S.

41 interchange with I-69 in Evansville south to the Indiana/Kentucky

border. The construction zone spans 1.4 miles in Indiana and 2.3 miles

in Kentucky. Some of the bridges involved are more than 70 years old,

and it is expected that once rehabilitated, the lifespan of the bridges

and roadway will be extended by 25 years.

Because this stretch of Route 41 is such a heavily trafficked highway,

it was determined that two lanes of traffic in each direction must

remain open at all times during the project. The solution decided

upon was a temporary Acrow detour bridge located over the Cheatam

Slough in Evansville, Indiana that is being used as a crossover for

various phases of the project. The use of the rental bridge is expected

to decrease the project timeline by a full year, allowing for cost

savings to both states and far less inconvenience to the public.

The project was unusual in several respects. The 390’ long Acrow

rental bridge was specially manufactured to a required non-standard

usable width of 26’, and the tight work zone required complex staging

work. The Acrow components were on site in August 2017 and will be

in place until the completion of the overall project, currently anticipated

to be the summer of 2019.

The contractor for the project is E&B Paving, Inc. of Anderson, IN,

and the design engineer is Butler Fairman Seufert of Indianapolis, IN.

“Keeping traffic moving at speed is critical to minimize traffic delay

costs, especially in a project that involves a busy interstate highway, as

was the case with this project,” said Bill Killeen, CEO of Acrow Bridge.

“The use of an Acrow rental bridge was a key element in addressing

that need. Acrow is a major player in the rental bridge market, which

has gained a strong foothold in the highway construction industry

for its obvious safety benefits and its ability in helping to ensure the

project stays on or ahead of schedule.”

Bridges that have been damaged by flooding will receive a level of repair that will restore traffic flow as much as possible.

• Size or weight restrictions may be required, and a temporary detour route will be established for loads exceeding posted limits.

These safe temporary bridges are not intended to be a permanent solution and will remain in place while the permanent bridge is constructed.