The Red Lillooet River Bridge is located east of Village of Pemberton in the province of British Columbia. It is along Highway 99 (Sea-to-Sky Highway), which is a popular tourism route connected to the Whistler ski resort and popular provincial parks. The bridge crosses the Lillooet River and connects Pemberton to the Lil’wat Nation and Mount Currie. Built in 1987, the 117-m-long two-lane bridge deck has deteriorated and was rated in poor condition. The deck top surface was extensively patched, which significantly reduced rideability. The objective of the Red Lillooet River Bridge Deck Renewal Project was to resurface the deck and to improve travel experience.
The deck renewal design had the following challenges and site constraints:
- The design solution needed to provide the best valued benefit: improve rideability and travel experience with lower cost.
- Full closure of the bridge and Highway 99 was not an option. The design solution needed to allow construction to take place in two phases and half width of the deck be replaced in each phase so that the other half can remain open to traffic.
- The navigable channel underneath needed to remain unobstructed and protected from contamination due to construction activities.
Given that the top surface showed extensive deterioration, two repairing schemes were developed based on the condition of the soffit. For deck area with evidence of bottom mat reinforcement corrosion, full depth replacement was recommended. For deck area with no deterioration visible on the soffit, partial depth repair was recommended. Most of the deck overhang was in good condition; therefore, only localized partial depth repair was required. This cost-effective solution minimized risks related to the environment, nearby utilities, and public safety.
The deck renewal design was developed collaboratively with the owner during the design stage and the project was successfully completed in August 2023. The finished product is a more durable bridge deck that matches seamlessly with the existing road at either end. The renewed deck consists of new corrosion prohibiting measures such as stainless-steel reinforcement and galvanic anodes. The replacement of the existing deck joints with reinforced concrete link slab improves rideability and requires less maintenance effort in the long term.
This presentation will be a case study describing the design and construction features of the project and the collaborative efforts from BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (the owner), designers, contractor, and stakeholders to ensure the success of the project.
