In December 2016, a partial failure of the 2nd Link Pin assembly, supporting the 2.2 million pound counterweight, rendered the Seabrook Bridge inoperable. This Strauss heel trunnion bascule bridge, constructed circa 1919, is owned by the Port of New Orleans and located in New Orleans, Louisiana. An emergency rehabilitation project was immediately initiated. The nature of the failure, an active major structural repair project on the same bridge, and the need to maintain rail operations for the Norfolk Southern and AMTRAK customers, presented numerous complex design, construction, and coordination challenges. This paper highlights the design details and construction methods utilized to successfully accomplish the unique emergency repair. Replacement of the failed components required jacking and shoring the counterweight to completely unload and disconnect the link pin joint. Shoring details minimized rail traffic interruptions with utmost attention given to preserving vertical and horizontal clearances. Installation of the new components required multi-stage precise field machining and assembly. Safely expediting restoration of bridge operation was only possible with excellent collaboration by all stakeholders.
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