�鶹TV��վ has partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to improve mobility and manage traffic congestion in Austin. Our latest endeavor will help ease congestion along .

On October 28, TxDOT crews on the $58.5 million project, and �鶹TV��վ was there to help turn the dirt. The project includes a new overpass bridge on SH 71 over the existing signalized intersection at Tucker Hill Lane, new one-way frontage roads, and improved and expanded pedestrian and bicycle lanes. This work is among several projects to enhance travel from Bastrop to Austin as part of TxDOT’s more extensive Hwy. 71 East Corridor plan—a plan that will eliminate all traffic signals on SH 71 between Austin and Houston.

Providing construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services for the Tucker Hill Lane intersection project, �鶹TV��վ is helping improve the intersection, which serves as a major corridor for motorists traveling to and from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the city of Bastrop and other central Texas communities. With more than 50,000 vehicles traversing these roads daily, this project will enhance safety and better manage congestion on one of the city’s busiest roadways.

“With growing communities comes a need to improve mobility and make communities more accessible to pedestrians and motorists,” said Joe Fiello, �鶹TV��վ Central Texas Sector Lead, Infrastructure. “�鶹TV��վ’ work with TxDOT is helping enhance safety not only for kids walking to school and people biking to work but is also improving mobility and reducing congestion on highly traveled roads.”

The project is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2028.

What it takes to inspect 288���ɱ�����, 730 feet in the air.��

A Bridge Between Past and Future ��

Stretching 2,428 feet across the American River canyon, the Foresthill Bridge is the tallest bridge in California and the fourth highest in the United States. It’s a local landmark where generations have left their stamp, a backdrop to daily life and even a piece of film history.����

In 2024, this 50-year-old structure became the focus of a federally funded initiative to assess bridges built with T-1 steel — a mid-century material associated with emerging safety concerns. Constructed in 1973 with 288 fracture-critical butt welds, Foresthill was selected for comprehensive non-destructive testing as part of a national program.��

The challenge: inspect every weld on one of the country’s tallest bridges while keeping traffic safely moving.��

An Inspection Unlike Any Other����

Placer County selected �鶹TV��վ to lead the inspection based on our proven performance on high-risk, high-profile projects, including the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the I-10 Freeway fire response.����

The team developed and executed a plan to inspect every weld using a combination of suspended snooper trucks, custom-engineered access platforms and advanced ultrasonic testing methods, with inspections performed at heights exceeding 700 feet.����

The work required:����

• Operating sensitive equipment in extreme height and weather conditions.����
• Maintaining American Welding Society (AWS) D1.5 Bridge Welding Code compliance.��
• Coordinating with Caltrans Materials Engineering and Testing Services and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) oversight teams.��
• Ensuring crew safety through 18+ rain-impacted days.��

“E���������weld we inspect carries the weight of public trust.��Our job is to evaluate thoroughly and report clearly,��so our clients can make informed decisions that support safer infrastructure for the communities they serve.”��–Aaron��Prchlik, PE, Project Manager.����

When Scope Expands, Execution Matters ��

The original plan called for a targeted inspection. As work progressed, the defect rate became significantly higher than the initially anticipated. Several welds required immediate metallurgical review due to surface-breaking cracks.

�鶹TV��վ responded in real time by:��

• Increasing ultrasonic testing to achieve full defect coverage.��
• Adapting scanning techniques for obstructed weld locations.��
• Providing timely data to support emergency repair decisions.��
• Maintaining detailed documentation throughout the expanded scope.��

Results That Reached Beyond Placer County ��

The inspection protocols, findings and repair recommendations developed through this project are helping inform FHWA guidance for evaluating T-1 steel bridges across the country. The project contributes to a shift in national conversation from reactive maintenance to proactive infrastructure protection.��

Key Outcomes:

A Legacy Maintained ��

Today, the Foresthill Bridge continues to carry more than 50,000 daily travelers, standing not only as an engineering achievement but also as a structure maintained through decades of partnership and public investment.����

The inspection effort highlights the importance of collaboration among agencies, engineers, and inspectors. Through strategic planning and coordinated execution, the project advanced immediate safety goals and contributed to a deeper understanding of the conditions of T-1 steel bridges nationwide.����

Learn More and See the Work in Action��

• Watch the Project:��

Corpus Christi, Texas’, new Harbor Bridge is a visible symbol of engineering and regional progress. Behind its towering pylons and sweeping span is the coordination of teams working across time zones, facilities and disciplines. As the Independent Quality Firm (IQF), �鶹TV��վ helped align those moving parts, ensuring each component met project specifications and supported long-term performance.

A Complex Build with High Stakes��

At more than 3,200 feet long and rising 538 feet above water, the new Harbor Bridge is now the tallest structure south of San Antonio, Texas, and the longest concrete segmental cable-stayed bridge in North America. Designed with expanded navigational clearance, the bridge opens the channel to accommodate larger ships and modern maritime traffic, strengthening the Port of Corpus Christi and reinforcing the region’s role in global trade.

Delivering a structure of this scope required coordination across more than 15 fabrication facilities in the U.S. and abroad. Each facility site operates under its own conditions, schedules and documentation processes. That’s where �鶹TV��վ stepped in as the IQF, coordinating across teams and facilities to ensure all aspects of construction met project standards and moved the work forward.

Independent Quality, Coordinated at Scale��

�鶹TV��վ collaborated with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and design-build contractor FlatironDragados to manage and monitor quality assurance from fabrication to final inspection.

Custom Inspection and Testing Plans (ITPs) were developed for components produced outside of TxDOT’s standard approval process, including precast bridge segments, stay cable anchors, epoxy-coated strands, high-load bearings and modular expansion joints. Each plan supported documentation, traceability and compliance with project requirements.

Our team performed audits, inspections and testing at each fabrication site before materials ever reached the job site. By applying a consistent approach across locations, �鶹TV��վ helped streamline coordination, minimize rework and give both TxDOT and the contractor confidence that every part was ready to perform as designed, regardless of where it was made.

Trusted to the End — and Beyond��

With the new bridge now open to traffic, �鶹TV��վ continues to support Phase II activities, including preparations for demolition of the original truss bridge and reconstruction of adjacent roadway segments.

At every phase, our work reflects a commitment to delivering dependable quality that strengthens infrastructure and supports the communities that rely on it. For �鶹TV��վ, success lives in the trust we earn, the standards we uphold and the future we help shape.

Discover how �鶹TV��վ brings quality to life in infrastructure projects nationwide.

Building a new bridge across the Mississippi River in the Baton Rouge area is not a new idea. The need had been there for decades, but getting beyond general conception has proved difficult, for any number of reasons. But today, thanks to a more pragmatic approach to achieving this monumental undertaking, a new Mississippi River Bridge (MRB)-building effort is taking those first critical steps toward becoming reality.

“Some of the attempts over the past 20 years have had bigger ambitions and scope and they were never able to get off the ground, either financially or politically,” says Kara Moree, CFM. “What we’re doing is concentrating on the early phases—selecting a location and getting the environmental documentation—to provide a foundation and build momentum for the project. This approach has been very successful in moving it forward.” Moree is the national director for NEPA & environmental compliance with �鶹TV��վ Technical Consultants and serves as the overall project manager. �鶹TV��վ was selected by the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development (LADOTD) as the prime consultant to conduct an Enhanced Planning Investigation and Environmental Evaluation for a new river bridge, one of the most high-profile civil infrastructure projects in the state of Louisiana.

��Project staff members answer questions from the public about the new
Mississippi River Bridge at a community center meeting in April 2022.

As its first order of business, the �鶹TV��վ-led team was asked to identify approximately 30 possible locations for the new bridge. The project limits were set along 60+ miles of river so, at first glance, it did not appear to be a tall order, but they didn’t get too far into the navigation study before discovering just how many constraints the project would be subjected to. “There were a lot of places we couldn’t put piers in the river. There are anchorages and things of that nature that we needed to stay away from. We were also limited to a 2,000 ft maximum main span length. We consulted with the U.S. Coast Guard and spoke with river pilots and identified other restrictions and impediments. It was difficult coming up with 30 locations, but eventually, we did identify 32,” Moree says.

From there, the team took a tiered approach to narrowing that list down to a more manageable number. Two rounds of screening were conducted in consideration of the project’s purpose and need, which was informed and supported by traffic data and other analyses. “We also had to consider the environmental impacts. We had to determine if we would be able to get permits, whether it was for wetlands or levees or the Coast Guard. There’s also a lot of really big industry up and down the river, and of course, Baton Rouge has one of the busiest ports in the world,” she says. By taking a data-driven approach, the team, which included 13 sub-consultants, was able to back up their decisions with cold facts. This proved particularly beneficial when 10 preliminary alternatives were selected and presented to the public.

As in many areas of Louisiana, Baton Rouge is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Almost overnight, the area took in an additional 200,000 displaced individuals. One of the impacts of that growth was that the metropolitan area hit its projected 2030 traffic volumes 25 years ahead of schedule. A project of this size and potential impact is bound to raise the interests, and passions, of residents and community leaders. Extensive public information and stakeholder engagement efforts were particularly critical in keeping the project moving forward. The team also made quarterly presentations to a state legislative committee so that government and political influencers would be kept abreast of progress.

Although �鶹TV��վ is a national firm with 100 locations across the country, the MRB project has benefited from a decided home-field advantage. Both Moree and Maria Bernard Reid, NEPA specialist and deputy project manager were born and raised in south Louisiana. Although �鶹TV��վ is a multi-disciplined firm with the resources to complete a project of this magnitude from start to finish, it benefited from the specialized expertise of its two project leads. “We are not engineers—we’re environmental people. Everything we see, we see through the eyes of biologists and NEPA practitioners. The Federal Highway Administration, who will be reviewing our environmental document, really appreciates having that perspective informing our findings,” says Reid.

That advantage has resulted in what will be the first approved Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) document on a LADOTD project. The integrated and collaborative PEL approach asks project teams to consider environmental factors during the planning process, using data and analysis gathered during planning to enhance the environmental investigations and analysis. FHWA encourages its use as a means to save time and cost by minimizing duplicate efforts. “Going straight from planning into NEPA, we fully expect that all of our work will be brought forward. Having two environmental professionals leading that has been a very big plus in producing high-quality and approvable documents,” Reid says.

�鶹TV��վ is scheduled to complete its work on the MRB project in late 2024. A new governor and administration will be installed in January, and the team is focused on keeping the project moving forward and maintaining the state’s commitment. If all goes according to plan, it will soon be moving toward design and construction.

Published by Engineering News-Record (ENR)
On July 31, 2023

The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering’s $588 million Sixth Street Viaduct replacement project in Los Angeles will join the L.A. Arts District to Boyle Heights. The new bridge, to open later in 2022, replaces a 1932 structure that was retired due to seismic vulnerability and a rare chemical reaction in the cement supports. It is funded by the Federal Highway Transportation Administration and the California Dept. of Transportation, as well as city funds.

The new bridge, dubbed The Ribbon of Light, will include a 2,864‐ft‐long tied‐arch continuous concrete viaduct structure and a 193‐ft-long post‐tensioned, cast‐in‐place, reinforced concrete box girder structure at the west approach. Design was completed by HNTB and Los Angeles architect Michael Maltzan. Construction is led by contractors Skanska Stacy and Witbeck.

�鶹TV��վ, through its acquired company Alta Vista Solutions, is providing quality management services, engineering assessment and evaluation for quality assurance and verification, materials engineering and investigations, structural steel inspection, testing and analysis, and source inspections.

“The project challenges have been significant,” says Bahjat Dagher, Project Manager with �鶹TV��վ. Downtown traffic, dealing with Los Angeles River challenges, working over and under active rail lines operated by five agencies, and managing identified and unidentified utility conflicts top the list. Alta Vista Solutions, an �鶹TV��վ company, has provided continuous support to the City of Los Angeles since 2017 dealing with typical and atypical construction, fabrication, and erection adversity. “We are grateful for the opportunity to provide our services that contribute to this first-class, high-quality structure that we can be proud of for generations to come” says Mr. Dagher.

“We have traveled to remote areas in California, as well as to states like Arizona, Utah, Ohio, Oregon, Missouri, and even Canada to perform source inspection and ensure the high standards of quality are met during fabrication. Our team of specialists help ensure that fabrication processes, welding, coating, material documentation, nondestructive testing and personnel certifications comply with contract requirements. Additionally, the team performs oversight assessment and verification of in-process quality control (QC) testing,” says Mr. Dagher. In addition, �鶹TV��վ, through Alta Vista Solutions, provided batch plant inspections, field inspections and materials testing for the structural concrete which included the helical ramp and the ten pairs of unique arches. These remarkable features are what will make the Sixth Street Viaduct an iconic piece of the LA skyline.

Published by Engineering News-Record (ENR)
On July 18, 2022

Bridges are an essential part of our nation’s infrastructure. The safe passage of fellow citizens and the efficient delivery of goods and services depends on reliable bridges.�� As a trained engineer, my fascination with bridges began very early. I am also painfully aware of the important role bridges play in our daily lives and how much we take them for granted.

Here are some statistics* about US bridges that I found staggering:

• There are more than 617,000 bridges across the US
• 42% of all bridges are at least 50 years old, with the average age being 44 years
• 46,154 are in “poor” condition

Given these alarming facts, I often ask, are we paying enough attention to America’s bridges?

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 178 million daily trips are taken across bridges that are classified in “poor” condition. The cumulative result of this neglect is $125 billion of backlog in bridges requiring repair.

As the nation’s bridges continue to age, each of us is aware of the imminent need to build new and maintain existing bridges. New technologies, more modern materials, innovative evaluation techniques, and pioneering construction methods have provided advances in recent years to meet this challenge.

The new administration’s American Rescue Plan to rebuild our country’s infrastructure includes $631 billion that will fix the most economically significant large bridges in the country. This investment will also repair 10,000 smaller bridges, including those that provide critical connections to rural and tribal communities.

�鶹TV��վ plays an important role in improving our nation’s bridges and infrastructure. In Georgia, �鶹TV��վ is replacing a 66-year-old fracture critical steel truss bridge on the State Route 53 at Lake Lanier design build project. Our team developed an innovative design for the replacement bridge that saved $3 million dollars in construction cost. Additionally, we are inspecting and designing structural repairs on significant bridges such as the New York’s Verrazano-Narrows, California’s Golden Gate and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridges, helping to extend the lives of these iconic American structures.

Not only are we focused on building and repairing bridges, but �鶹TV��վ is working to make them more “shovel worthy” – providing much-needed access and mobility for ambulances, fire trucks or school buses. We have teamed with partners to replace posted and deficient bridges across the country with the goal of ensuring safe passage and enabling the economy to thrive. In Texas, �鶹TV��վ is working on the replacement of the US 181 Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi. The new bridge will accommodate larger ships, be the longest cable-stay bridge in the U.S. and Canada, and the tallest structure in South Texas, when completed. Most recently, we developed plans to replace a bridge posted for weight limitations in Newton County, Georgia over the Yellow River with construction planned for September 2021.

Infrastructure Week is an ideal time to refocus our attention on America’s aging infrastructure and vigorously address this daunting challenge.

I, the �鶹TV��վ team, our partners, and our entire industry believe NOW is the time to cross this bridge because we’ve come to it!

*ASCE Data

Author:

L. Joe Boyer |��CEO of �鶹TV��վ Technical Consultants