Bowman provided Phase III construction engineering services for the Mile-Long Bridge replacement, which involved the construction of two new 27-span bridges over the Illinois and Michigan Canal, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Des Plaines River, the mainline CNRR, a UPS facility, and the BNSF RR intermodal freight facility.
Each new substructure was 4,800 feet long, consisting of 26 reinforced concrete piers founded on drilled concrete shafts embedded at least six feet into bedrock.
The superstructure for each bridge was composed of ten-foot-deep steel girders spanning the CN R.R. and the two canals, while the remaining 23 spans over the Des Plaines River and intermodal facility utilized 90” and 72” precast concrete girders. The superstructures featured stainless steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete decks for enhanced service life. The deck cross-sections accommodated five lanes, each with a flex lane and full-width concrete shoulders.
The work included pavement removal, installation of new storm sewers and drainage structures, construction of 25,000 SY of bituminous base course and Jointed Plain Concrete pavement, as well as bituminous pavements, and pavement and bridge deck patching.
Bowman successfully led proactive and well-coordinated communication throughout this complex project, managing substantial stakeholder and utility coordination with IDOT, five regulatory agencies, two major railroads, five municipalities, a forest preserve district, a county, the metropolitan water reclamation district, the county water commission, several businesses including UPS, and all major utilities.
Bowman also served as a mentor to three DBE firms under Mentor/Protege agreements, assisting them in developing their managerial and technical capabilities.
Bowman provided Concept and Final Phase II engineering services for the Mile-Long Bridge replacement on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), spanning the CN Railroad, I&M Canal, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, Des Plaines River, BNSF Railway, and other major infrastructure elements. The original 54-span, 4,932.83-foot bridge was replaced with a 27-span structure across 7 units, designed to carry five lanes and one flex lane in each direction. Span lengths varied from 71.13 feet to 260 feet, with an average span of 91.3 feet.
Bowman’s responsibilities included:
- Bridge rating and Bridge Condition Report per NBIS standards
- Data collection, cost estimating, Life Cycle Cost Analysis, and fatigue analysis
- Design of culverts, junction chambers, ITS, overhead sign structures, and noise abatement walls
- Concept Drainage Report preparation
- Storm sewer, culvert, and stormwater detention facility design using OpenRoads and SUDA
- Hydrologic and hydraulic analysis using CivilStorm for Des Plaines River outlets
Project Awards
ACEC National Recognition Award
ACEC Honor Award
ACEC Engineering Excellence Award