Ten years ago this month, Ames began a project to replace the Hell Canyon Bridge in Prescott National Forest in Arizona.
Before bridge construction could begin, Ames designed and built access roads to transport equipment to the site, more than 100 feet below the bridge deck on the canyon floor.
Working through winter snowfall in the high desert, crews completed the project in September 2016.
Once the new four-lane bridge was open, the existing bridge’s deteriorating steel truss and piers were demolished. Demolition included staged and controlled blasting; a mere 55 feet separated the new bridge from the old.
At project end, crews performed extensive restoration to blend the topography of the disturbed terrain with the surrounding environment.
