The Twillingate area of Newfoundland is accessed by a series of roads
that link a number of islands. The various causeways are subject to the
action of seawater and ice throughout the seasons. In 1986, the
Department of Works Services and Transportation chose to specify a large
Dur•A•Span Box Culvert to replace an aging concrete bridge as part of
an upgrading project on Route 344 on Strong’s Island.
Dur•A•Span – the obvious choice to replace crumbling concrete bridges.
Successful bidder Twillingate Construction Ltd. immediately ordered the box culvert from AIL. The Dur•A•Span structure, designated as DS-81B, had a span of 7.5 m, a rise of 3.2 m and was 13.2 m long. It had a full aluminum invert and toewalls at both ends to prevent erosion and scour.
Assembled and installed in less than two weeks.
Assembly of the structure took place adjacent to the site, on the side of the road, and was completed in one week. The old structure was removed, and after preparing the bedding, the Dur•A•Span Box Culvert was lowered into place and backfilled, partially in the wet using a crushed rock material. The installation took just one further week, keeping costs and travel disruptions to a minimum.
Maintenance free and still shining many years later.
An inspection was completed in 2002, some 19 years later, and the Dur•A•Span Box Culvert was in pristine condition. The Strong's Island Aluminum Box Culvert is another example of aluminum structural plate weathering severe conditions and providing a maintenance-free bridge.
» Find out more about our Dur•A•Span solutions