Big Beams

Posted February 24, 2010

More than 100 giant, precast concrete beams, to be used in bridge construction,  will be delivered to the US20-Pioneer Mountain to Eddyville project beginning Thursday, February 25.

The beams will be trucked from Harrisburg, along OR99E to OR34/US 20, and then west to the project site near Eddyville.

The beams measure 150-feet long and weigh approximately 67 tons each.  Four beams will be delivered February 25.    The remaining beams will be delivered from March through early June.  No deliveries will be made during weekends.  The beams will be trucked by 12-axle trucks that are steered in front and back.

“Motorists may experience a minor delay by the oversize loads,” said Assistant Project Manager Eric Knapp.  “Those big beams will be taking turns and intersections a little more slowly than some motorists travel,” he said.

The beams were manufactured by Knife River Corporation, Northwest at their Prestress Concrete Division plant in Harrisburg.  Each beam takes a day to fabricate and Knife River is supplying 188 beams for the bridges in the project.

“The beams represent added value for Oregon taxpayers on a couple of levels,” said Knapp.  “First, they’re made by Oregon workers.  Secondly, they’re designed to be interchangeable.  All the beams used for bridge construction in this project are built to the same specifications.  That saves taxpayers a lot of money in design costs,” Knapp said.