This paper was presented at the `Innovative Bridge Projects, 1993-96' session. Highway 407 is a new 69 km long multi-lane urban toll highway currently being constructed north of Metropolitan Toronto, from Highway 403 in Oakville to Highway 48 in Markham, by Canadian Highways International Corporation under a design-build agreement with the Ontario Transportation Capital Corporation (OTCC), an Ontario Provincial Crown Corporation. This major east-west route will improve transportation access to the Greater Toronto Area and will reduce traffic congestion for bypassing traffic. The project will include the construction of about 144 bridges. Totten Sims Hubicki Associates (1991) Limited was responsible for the design of 38 precast concrete girder bridges as part of the first 37 km section of the highway. The single span and multi-span structures cross various Provincial highways, municipal roads, railways and watercourses. The bridge designs were completed in a compressed schedule using a fast-track design approach. Innovation in bridge design was a key element in the company's approach to the project and resulted in the following bridge design features which were developed and utilized for the standard bridge designs: Implementation of a value engineering process to develop the most cost-effective standards and construction details; Development of new precast concrete girder shapes resulting in reduced girder fabrication and erection time and construction savings; Integral abutment bridges eliminating the need for expansion joints resulting in reduced initial construction and future maintenance costs; Mechanical stabilized earth retaining structures for false abutments and long wingwalls and retaining walls to reduce construction time and costs and improve aesthetics. (A)
Abstract