Sonoma and Marin Rapid Transit (SMART) is developing a light rail system in just North of San Francisco, and as part of the development of this system, SMART purchased an existing bascule bridge to replace an ageing swing span bridge built in 1905. The bridge was purchased to solve two problems on this new light rail system currently under construction. Replace the existing bridge which had reached its useful life, and increase the functionality of the river crossing by expanding the navigable width and reducing the duration for opening and closing the bridge for a train crossing. Stafford Bandlow Engineering supplied engineering support for the refurbishing and upgrading the bridge to meet the specifications of California code and AREMA requirements. COWI Bridge provided erection engineering for this unique project that that involved building the bridge in the open position in order to minimize environmental impacts as well as to allow the existing swing bridge to remain operational throughout construction and commissioning. The manuscript will cover the retrofit design of the existing bridge and the erection schemes employed to construct the bridge.
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