In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler has undergone major improvements with respect to safety, reliability and capacity. MMM Group has worked closely with the design-build team to mitigate environmental impacts through the selection of structural concepts and details that reuse existing structural elements, optimize the use of construction materials and reduce the structural footprint. Examples presented in this paper where these principles were successfully implemented include (a) the retention and reuse of existing bridge substructure elements; (b) the reuse of an existing bridge as a temporary detour crossing; and (c) the innovative combination of cast-in-place concrete and mechanically stabilized earth walls in stacked and tiered arrangements. As a commitment to local residents in Squamish, noise mitigation measures were provided through the urban Squamish corridor. This was achieved in part through the use of open-graded friction course (OGFC) pavement. The coarser gradation and increased air voids of OGFC pavement have noted noise reduction features and improved safety features but require special attention to bridge deck surface drainage and pavement finishing. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E217481.
Abstract