Road 27 Grade Separation

Crews celebrated the completion of the Road 27 overcrossing in Madera County late this summer. The grade separation is located between Avenue 17 and Club Drive north of the City of Madera, and is one of nine grade separations in Madera County built to take traffic over the existing BNSF rail and future high-speed rail lines. The completed structure spans 636 feet long in length and more than 43 feet wide, complete with pedestrian access.

Work continues at the Road 27 Grade Separation in Madera County. On the north side of the structure, crews hauled more than 100,000 cubic yards of dirt to form the slope of the structure. At the most northern abutment, crews are working on joint sealing the abutment with concrete. Crews will then begin to pave the road with asphalt later this summer. When complete, the Road 27 Grade Separation will be 636-feet long, 43-feet wide and will take traffic and pedestrians over the existing BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

In Construction Package 1, work is progressing at the Road 27 structure in Madera County. On the eastside of the structure, crews recently placed concrete to form the backwall of the structure. Crews continue to haul embankment on the west side of the structure and approximately 150,000 cubic yards of embankment fill has been hauled to date. Coming up, crews will be placing concrete to form 1,800 feet of concrete barrier along the bridge.

At the north end of Construction Package 1 in Madera County, a dozer operator moves and compacts the dirt being hauled in to build up the north side of the Road 27 overcrossing. Eventually the fill will reach the level of the bridge deck when it will be paved. The overcrossing will take Road 27 traffic over an existing BNSF line and the future high-speed rail line.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, crews have completed pouring concrete to connect the girder sections on the massive structure in Madera County, and are pouring diaphragms that laterally connect the girders for stiffening. Next, the contractor will be post-tensioning the girders. Post-tensioning is a way to reinforce the girders further. Steel cables are strung through ducts in the girders and are then pulled tight and tensioned. This structure is a spliced girder bridge which is unique to the area and was necessary due to the existing road geometry. Ultimately, the bridge will be nearly 650 feet long with frontage roads providing access to local homes along the sides.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, crews have begun pouring concrete for diaphragms, which are the structures that connect the girders along the sides to stabilize the superstructure. Also, crews are pouring the closure pours, which will connect the girder sections end to end. This structure is a spliced girder bridge which is unique to the area and was necessary to elongate the spans due to the existing road geometry. Ultimately, the bridge will be nearly 650 feet long with frontage roads providing access to local homes along the sides.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, crews continue building the structures (called diaphragms) that will connect the girders to one another along the sides at the Road 27 Grade Separation in MaderaCounty. They are also preparing for closure pours which will connect the girder sections end to end. Ultimately, the bridge will be nearly 650 feet long with frontage roads providing access to local homes along the sides.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, a total of 28 girders have been set to form the foundation for the crossing superstructure. Currently, crews are beginning construction of diaphragms that will connect the girders to one another along the sides. They’ll also start closure pours which will connect the girder sections together. After some additional utility relocation, embankment work will also begin. Ultimately, the bridge will be nearly 650 feet with frontage roads providing access along the sides to local homes.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, a crane sets the remaining concrete girders for the overcrossing at Road 27 in Madera County. In late August and September, four massive girders were placed across the railroad tracks during night time closures coordinated with the BNSF railroad. These concrete beams, each one more than eight feet tall, 150 feet in length, and weighing more than 250,000 pounds, are some of the largest ever used in California. A total of 28 girders will create the foundation for the crossing superstructure, with the deck tentatively scheduled to be poured early next year. After some additional utility relocation, embankment work can also begin.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, large concrete girders are being set for the overcrossing at Road 27 in Madera County. The first two girders were placed across the railroad tracks during a night time closure in late August, while the second two girders are currently scheduled to be set in late September. A total of 28 girders will create the foundation for the crossing superstructure, with the deck tentatively scheduled to be poured early next year. Following utility relocation, embankment work can also begin. Ultimately, the bridge will be nearly 700 feet with frontage roads providing access along the sides to local homes.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, the overcrossing for Road 27 in Madera County continues to take shape as crews complete the support structures for the coming placement of concrete girders. The first two girders to be placed across the railroad tracks are currently scheduled during a night time closure of the rail line at the end of this month, with two more girders scheduled in late September. A total of 28 girders will be set to create the foundation for the crossing superstructure with the deck tentatively scheduled to be poured in January. As soon as utility relocation begins, embankment work will also commence. The bridge will be more than 600 feet long with the longest span stretching 198 feet.

At the northern end of Construction Package 1, the overcrossing for Road 27 in Madera County continues to take shape as crews build the support structures for the coming placement of concrete girders. Due to the geometry of Road 27 as it crosses the railroad tracks, the spans of this bridge are very long. Contractor TPZP is using precast spliced girders for the superstructure to achieve the distances needed. Shorter precast girders will be set on temporary falsework bents, which are being built between the concrete bents. Once the girders have been set beginning in August, they will be post-tensioned and the ends enclosed in concrete to form the superstructure. Underground utility work is also ongoing on the south side of the job site. Once the remaining utility relocations are complete, access roads for local homes and embankment will begin. Ultimately, the bridge will be over 700 feet long with the longest span stretching 198 feet.

At the overcrossing for Road 27 in Madera County, crews are busy preparing for the placement of concrete girders next month. Here at the northern end of Construction Package 1, the Road 27 overcrossing will take traffic over the high-speed rail line and existing tracks for BNSF.

The Road 27 overpass is a unique structure compared to the others currently being constructed in Madera County. Due to the geometry of Road 27 as it crosses the BNSF and high-speed rail corridor, the spans of this bridge are long.

Design-builder Tutor-Perini/Zachry/Parsons (TPZP) is using precast spliced girders for the superstructure to achieve the distances needed. Shorter precast girders are set on temporary falsework bents. The girders are then post-tensioned and the ends enclosed in concrete to unify the superstructure. Ultimately, the bridge will be over 700 feet long with the longest span stretching 198 feet.

A lot of activity can be seen at the northern boundary of Construction Package 1, where crews are getting closer to completing the Road 27 overcrossing. Dispatched workers were busy pouring concrete for the final supporting bent on the south side of the railroad tracks. A bent is composed of a column and cap element that the girders rest on. So far, the retaining wall on the south side of the bridge has been completed.

The abutments and support structures for the Road 27 grade separation are nearing completion. Crews are constructing the bent cap for the bridge substructure, while to the south of the bridge, crews are setting the concrete forms for what will become a retaining wall along the west side of the road. Once the wall is completed fill dirt will be trucked in and placed to raise the road to the level of the crossing over the tracks.

On the north side of the work zone, the abutment and one support structure, known as a bent, are largely complete, while on the south side crews are still constructing the support piers and setting concrete forms. The crossing will take traffic over an existing freight line and the high-speed rail line north of the town of Madera.

Preparing for a concrete pour, workers continue constructing the support structure, referred to as a bent, on the north side of the rail crossing for Road 27 in Madera County. Relocation of a power line that impacted construction on the south side of the tracks has allowed pier construction to begin there as well. The crossing will take traffic over an existing freight line and the future high-speed rail lines.