Rapid Replacement of Tangier Island Bridges Including Lightweight and Durable FRP Deck Systems

About the project:

There are currently two separate timber bridges on Canton Road (Route 1302) connecting Tangier Island’s Canton Ridge with Main Ridge.  Canton Road is the sole source of vehicular or pedestrian access to Canton Ridge from the remainder of the island.  Structure Number B626 will cross Canton Creek, while Structure B627 will cross Corn Gut, a tidal gut tributary of Canton Creek.  The existing structures are only rated for a 2-ton capacity, and are incapable of providing sufficient strength to allow the island’s new fire truck to cross.  The new structures will be steel half-through trusses (pony trusses) with fiber reinforced polymer (plastic) decking.  Each bridge will consist of only a single span, and will be supported on steel H-piles driven with a vibratory hammer.  Steel sheet pile will be used to provide lateral load resistance for the bridge abutments as well as to retain the new approach fills. 

Project Team

Co-Principal Investigators

Other Investigators