How does a 110-foot-long steel pedestrian bridge appear over a roadway in 24 hours? Assemble it ahead of time in pieces and then carefully lift and fit the segments into place with specialized equipment. That’s what a team from Sundt and joint venture partner Wooten Construction did on Friday at Las Cruces High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Their innovative approach to bridge construction took months of planning, but as a result, one of the busiest roadways in Las Cruces was closed for less than 24 hours while the new structure was installed.Check out news coverage of the event here.
The operation was part of Wooten|Sundt’s $36 million education construction project at Las Cruces High School. It includes construction of several new parking lots and athletic fields, as well as 156,000 square feet of structural additions anchored by a two-story classroom building, administration areas, a media center, and a performing arts laboratory.
Wooten|Sundt plans to have the first phase of construction completed by August 2015. The new campus additions will help improve student flow between classes and provide a safer environment for one of the state’s most populated high schools.