In 2003, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation initiated a design competition for the detailed design of the Needles Bridge crossing over Arrow Lake. When constructed, this bridge will be the longest fixed link lake crossing in the province at a length of 1087 m. This paper describes the unique design methodology and risk management approach employed during the recent design competition project, and presents some of the significant challenges and constraints faced during alignment optimization. Geometric design played a key role in the overall design economy of this large structure. A bathymetric survey was combined with conventional survey data and used to optimize the subsurface and shoreline horizontal geometry. The survey amalgamation improved the overall economy through minimized pier heights and optimal positioning of the navigation span. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E211426.
Abstract