Doing the bridge slide - and we don't mean a dance move

While the electric slide enjoyed the height of its popularity in the 1990s, ADOT and its contractor for the Bellemont bridge project, Fisher Industries, are introducing the bridge slide as an innovative method for accelerated bridge construction.

The bridge slide method, which we detailed recently in a news release, involves pre-casting new bridges right next to the existing bridges. The old bridges are then demolished and new bridges are lifted and “slid” into place using hydraulic jacks. This process took less four-and-a-half days to accomplish on the Bellemont project once the new bridges were built.

This method was proposed by Fisher Industries through a process called value engineering where the plans of a project are analyzed looking for ways to improve quality and value while reducing time needed to complete the work.

This bridge-sliding method takes months off of construction time compared to the traditional way of building new bridges while maintaining traffic through the area. The residents and those who travel through Bellemont are spared months of lane closures and restrictions thanks to this innovative method.

Check out the time-lapse video taken by ADOT’s video team to see how the bridge-slide method works.