Acrow Bridges Reconnect Routes Closed After Flooding in San Luis Obispo County, California

Two detour structures maintain traffic flow on critical routes in remote locations

(Parsippany, New Jersey) – 24 October 2023 – Acrow, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, is pleased to announce two of its modular steel bridges were installed recently to reconnect flood-damaged routes in different locations within San Luis Obispo County in California’s Central Coast region. The existing infrastructure was damaged during heavy rainstorms in January and March 2023. 

Near the city of Paso Robles in the northern part of the county, stormwaters in March washed out three culverts beneath Chimney Rock Road, resulting in an 80-foot-long, 50-foot-deep canyon bisecting the road and cutting off access to neighborhoods and a mining business on the east side of Lake Nacimiento. Because the route is used by first responders and for evacuation in the event of fire, San Luis Obispo County quickly built a temporary access road, but required a longer-term detour solution. After excavation of one of the banks to provide access for the launch, the assembly of Acrow’s single-lane modular bridge began in early June. It was installed with a crane-assisted launch and opened to traffic at the end of June. The modular bridge is expected to be in place for several years until a permanent crossing is designed and constructed.

The second installation took place in the small community of Huasna in the southern part of the county, where the bridge over the Arroyo Grande Creek on Huasna Townsite Road was snapped in half by floodwaters in January. Although the 70-year-old bridge had recently been approved for replacement, the road and structure are an important emergency route in and out of the remote Huasna Valley, so restoring the route as quickly as possible was critical. In addition, the route connects Huasna with several large ranches and National Forest lands. Assembly of Acrow’s modular steel bridge began in early July. The bridge was installed with a full cantilever launch and opened to traffic in early August. It is anticipated the structure will be in service for three or more years while a permanent bridge is designed and built.

The Chimney Rock Road Bridge is 170 feet (51.8m) in length, while the Townsite bridge is 180 feet (54.86m) long. Both are single-lane bridges designed to AASHTO HL-93 loading with a curb-to-curb dimension of 13.8’ (4.2m) and have epoxy aggregate decks. Delivery of the components to both sites was difficult due to narrow, winding roads, and in the case of the Chimney Rock Road Project, components were delivered over damaged roads. The bridges were rented to Souza Construction, Inc., of San Luis Obispo, who was the installation contractor under contract to San Luis Obispo County on both projects.

“We are honored to have been part of these important emergency projects to restore transportation lifelines to impacted communities,” said Deon Lourens, Acrow’s Business Development Manager, Pacific States. “Easily delivered to the most remote and challenging locations, Acrow’s high-quality modular steel bridges are rapidly assembled and installed and can be designed to serve a wide range of temporary and permanent applications.”

“Acrow’s ability to provide critical bridging components quickly and economically is built upon our decades of experience in restoring transportation infrastructure in emergency situations across the globe,” added Bill Killeen, CEO of Acrow Bridge. “Available for rent or purchase, our proven solutions serve the needs of departments of transportation and contractors alike.”

About Acrow

Acrow has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 70 years with a wide range of modular steel bridging solutions for permanent, temporary, military and emergency use. Acrow’s extensive international presence includes leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 150 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.