摘要: |
New Mexico Route 50 (NM 50) serves Glorieta, N.M., to the west and Pecos, N.M., to the east. The nearly 100-year-old crossing over Glorieta Creek exhibited severe deterioration and needed to be replaced. However, the closure of the bridge would force residents living east of the bridge to detour 18 miles to get to Santa Fe, N.M. In addition, the National Park Service had concerns that construction would disturb local flora and fauna and wanted to maintain the bridge's historic setting. An all-precast concrete structure helped the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) to limit the closure time for residents and minimize the site impact. "Given its ability to be quickly prefabricated off site and stored until needed, precast concrete was the best solution," recalls Richard C. Castillo, president and CEO of Castillo Pre-stress. "Speed was of the essence to minimize the economic impact on the community as well as the inconvenience," he adds. |