El Salto Falls Street Bridge and Idaho Avenue Pedestrian Overcrossing Win 2018 Outstanding Project Awards from ASCE Region 9

T.Y. Lin International (TYLI), a globally recognized, full-service infrastructure consulting firm, announces that two TYLI projects have won 2018 Outstanding Project Awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Region 9. The El Salto Falls Street Bridge over Buena Vista Creek project in Carlsbad, California, was named 2018 Outstanding Bridge Project. The Idaho Avenue Pedestrian Overcrossing (POC) Replacement in Santa Monica, California, was honored as 2018 Outstanding Bikeways & Trails Project.

TYLI provided design and construction management services for the El Salto Falls Street Bridge project. For the Idaho Avenue POC Replacement, TYLI served as Prime Consultant and Designer responsible for concept alternatives analysis, architectural design and visualization, final engineering, and construction support for the overcrossing and improvements to the historic Idaho Trail.

“The success of these projects stems from T.Y. Lin International’s dedication to providing clients with innovative, effective design solutions. It is an honor to have our work recognized by ASCE Region 9,” said Clark Fernon, P.E., TYLI Vice President.

About the El Salto Falls Street Bridge over Buena Vista Creek:

The El Salto Falls Street Bridge over Buena Vista Creek is a three-span spliced girder bridge in Carlsbad, California, which connects two sides of a new housing development. To meet the tight schedule and budget, TYLI developed an innovative bridge design using high-performance precast concrete that allowed construction to proceed without entering a 170-foot-wide by 90-foot-long Environmentally Sensitive Area. This eliminated the lengthy process of obtaining the regulatory permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and averted construction delays.

Access from the top of the creek banks was also limited to a 90-foot-wide construction easement. Utilizing three-stage accelerated bridge construction, TYLI’s design plan implemented innovative construction methods that kept all work outside the creek limits. The El Salto Falls Street Bridge over Buena Vista Creek project was completed on schedule and within budget in August 2016.

About the Idaho Avenue POC:

Replacing an existing overcrossing in Santa Monica, California, the Idaho Avenue POC extends from the Idaho Trail in Pacific Palisades Park and corkscrews tightly around the vertical clearance envelope of the California Incline roadway. The sculptural profile of the new bridge resembles a nautilus shell, facilitating its connection to the marine environment. Design challenges overcome included working with a trail with a steep 10% grade, space limitations over the roadway, the bridge location between steep, erodible cliffs and the City property line, and a large elevation drop between the trail and the roadway.

The primary architectural feature of the overcrossing is the highly curved V-pier on the west side of the roadway, which provides a “window” to views of the Pacific Ocean. TYLI worked closely with the contractor, providing 3D model files to enable construction of accurate forms. The Idaho Avenue POC opened to the public in September 2016.