July 11, 2024
As told by MDT's Structures and Innovations Engineer, Lenci Kappes, written by Newsline Editor, Lauren Eichenfels
In the world of transportation infrastructure, challenges - like a bridge closure - can seem daunting, overwhelming, and even a little discouraging. But sometimes, those challenges present opportunities, and when all is said and done, what started as a looming mountain emerges on the other side as a positive example of the power of teamwork and community.
For those who read the news coverage of the April closure and rapid reopening of the Montana Highway 41 (MT 41) bridge crossing the Beaverhead River near the small town of Twin Bridges, let's just say you're getting some of the facts but missing the true story behind what occurred in less than a week. That story holds many, many examples of the humans and connections that made the rapid repair and reopening of this structure possible.
Team MDT working at the MT 41 bridge site near Twin Bridges, Mont. on Friday, April 12, 2024.
When Team MDT gathered for a meeting on Tuesday, April 9, following the closure of the MT 41 bridge the night before, the gravity of the situation was palpable. Everyone participating understood the impact of the closure on the rural communities relying on that bridge for safe passage over the Beaverhead River, as well as the impact on commercial traffic utilizing the state route. Despite the pressure, everyone - from leadership to staff - quickly began working together on potential solutions for the repair and reopening of the structure. While replacement options were estimated to be at least 2 years out, the group continued brainstorming and turned to a past situation with a bridge near Chinook as inspiration for alternative options for the closed MT 41 bridge.
The pre-repair condition of the bridge's concrete cap shows the loss of support under the girder bearings.
From this meeting on, it truly became an example of "many hands make light work." From leadership to the Bridge Bureau's engineers, everyone in the room wanted to do whatever they could to find a solution for the closure quickly. MDT's Maintenance Division Administrator (Jon Swartz) gave full support to the effort by providing priority access to the Maintenance Shop for fabrication and related needs.
MDT's Bridge Bureau (Lenci Kappes, Dave Crumley) designed a repair plan for the bridge, and staff spanning MDT's Engineering Division, Maintenance Division, and Butte District went to work to gather the needed materials before traveling to the site. MDT construction and contracting staff (Dave Gates the Construction Engineer; Brandon Graff and Clancy Williams in Alternative Contracting) assisted the Bridge Bureau in locating a contractor with the equipment needed for the repairs. One came through with a lead on a barge for the repair, saying it was unused sitting in a field currently, and that they could guarantee it would "float until it sinks."
Steel plates and hardware ready for pickup at the Maintenance Shop.
On Wednesday, April 10, the Maintenance Shop (Doug Robbins, Walt Kerttula and the fabrication/stock crew) prioritized the fabrication of the steel plates as promised, ordering materials and completing the fabrication just two days after the initial meeting. By Thursday, April 11, the plates were ready to pick up from the shop in Helena. "They said they'd be ready early Thursday morning, so I was going to be there on time with donuts as a thank-you," remembers Kappes with a chuckle. "I ran into Jon Swartz while I was there, and I remember there was this powerful, 'we can do this' attitude. It was truly inspiring."
Meanwhile, MDT's Butte Maintenance (Josh Ritchie, Maintenance Superintendent, and his crew) picked up the "loaner" barge from where it was parked in the contractor's yard and fabricated a ladder for the watercraft to meet safety needs. As the local "hands on the project", the Butte Maintenance crew also handled much of the prep work - including gathering essential equipment such as generators, air compressors, tools, etc.
Setting the barge in the Beaverhead River.
MDT's Bridge engineers (Amanda Jackson) worked on a plan for the placement of the crane on the MT 41 bridge site for the barge launch, and (Jarrod Plummer) sourced the epoxy needed for the repairs. Due to the quantity of epoxy needed and the short turnaround time, Plummer traveled to Missoula to make an additional purchase of epoxy and then transported the materials to the bridge site. "It turns out, we bought all of the specialized epoxy in Montana," said Kappes with a laugh. He added, "It was important we didn't run out mid-repair."
"I wish I could speak to all the stories of everyone involved in this undertaking," said Kappes. "It's amazing the ownership and involvement that so many staff across our department likely felt with this repair. To think that people went home to their families after work that week, feeling pride in their hands-on impact (fabricating and drilling the steel plates, drilling anchor holes in the pier, running the John boat, mixing concrete, etc.) in completing this project… that's powerful. Every person involved made it possible for us to restore that bridge to safe service!"
Dave Crumley setting up a bridge jack.
By Thursday afternoon, MDT was on-site with staff and equipment hard at work on the designed repair plan. As is the tendency with things like this, an additional opportunity came to light when MDT received word of pressure on the bridge site from the dam upstream. The dam needed to be released, which would elevate the water quickly and may have stopped the repair work on the bridge. The release was originally planned for Thursday evening, but thanks to MDT's Chief Engineer (Dustin Rouse) and Preconstruction Engineer (Ryan Dahlke) quickly communicating with the appropriate local contacts, they were able to buy an additional day for the MDT site crew to complete the bridge repairs. The crew kept working on the bridge repairs well into the dark hours Friday evening, continuing to take shifts for needed breaks and rest. District staff continued to shuttle supplies as needed until the repairs were completed late Friday evening.
Fun Fact
The MT 41 bridge was barricaded at 4:30 p.m. MST on Monday, April 8, and the repair project was totally complete at 8:30 p.m. MST on Friday, April 12. That equates to 100 hours from bridge closure to finished repairs. The reopening was delayed until Saturday morning for safety reasons (i.e., fatigued crews and avoiding working in the dark Friday night).
Moments of comradery were plentiful among those working at the bridge site. From those transporting needed supplies and equipment to the bridge team, there was an atmosphere of positivity and hard work. The members of Team MDT present at the site, led by Dave Crumley, shared the courage and support needed to make this effort a success - or, as Kappes calls it, the "secret ingredient" in similar bridge repair projects. He fondly remembers the arrival of Meghan Coon, a fellow Bridge Designer for MDT, and her warm welcome from the Butte Maintenance Area crews. "There's my girl!" one called as she arrived at the site. "Apparently, the day before while on-site, she [Meghan] had promised MDT stickers for their hard hats which she did end up mailing a few weeks later," Kappes chuckled. "It was a small moment that demonstrated how connected we [Team MDT] are when it comes to our shared passion for serving the state we love." Coon and Plummer would then go on to mix and deliver the HD50 concrete to finalize the beam seat repairs after the steel plates were installed.
Example of repair progress at the end of the first night (Thursday) - some steel plates have been anchored and epoxied on the pier.
When the sun rose on Saturday, April 13, the Butte Maintenance Area crews arrived at the site to complete needed clean-up activities before reopening the repaired bridge to the public later that morning.
Bridge repairs near completion on Friday, with some beam sets finished and some waiting for epoxy to dry before finishing.
"People came from all over," remembers Kappes. "I'm from Kalispell, we had people from Helena, from the Butte area… Staff were involved from all over the state, coming together to make this effort possible."
In less than a week, Team MDT closed and then reopened the MT 41 bridge to the traveling public. To many, it may have seemed a simple repair project. But, to the many hands that impacted or directly touched this project, it was so much more. With the bridge reopened, the repair project stands as an example of what MDT can do as a unified, courageous team - particularly when it comes to the next project of this type. As Kappes put it, "It seems odd to find something so positive in a situation that isn't positive. Because of this closure and the way we handled the repairs, this will set the example for the next bridge…because there will be a next one, unfortunately." He added "It tears our hearts out to see our Montana communities impacted by bridge closures like this. Being B.U.I.L.D.E.R.S. is more than just our motto at MDT. It's something we carry in our hearts every day we're on the job. We are always ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work when it comes to the safety and accessibility of our statewide communities."
Lenci Kappes (right) running a hammer drill next to Ryan Dahlke (left) on Friday.
Without the trust and empowerment provided by MDT's leadership and the incredible teamwork across multiple areas and districts, the MT 41 bridge repair project would not have been as successful, nor would it have been completed as quickly. "If we hadn't tried, the bridge would have remained closed until the originally anticipated August date, or even indefinitely," said Kappes. "We have to be willing to explore options, trying things when and where possible." He notes that while this repair approach worked for MT 41 and a Chinook bridge in the past, there are (and will continue to be) some bridges where this unfortunately won't be the solution. "We'll keep trying though - that's the important thing!"
The completed bridge repairs on Saturday after cleanup of the site was complete.
Not all bridge repairs make the news or land on the public radar - and that's a good thing! While Twin Bridges and Chinook are notable examples of larger-scale repairs, many bridges with less significant repair needs are completed regularly as part of MDT's statewide bridge inspections and maintenance. There are about 2,400* state-owned bridges across Montana that communities like Twin Bridges rely on for safe passage and access. Thanks to the efforts of Dave Crumley, Jarrod Plummer, and other MDT Maintenance staff, these repairs happen on bridges in communities across the state every day, safeguarding our statewide transportation infrastructure and helping to ensure Montana keeps moving safely, efficiently and effectively.
Kudos to the members of Team MDT that made this incredible project a success, including:
- Leadership: Dustin Rouse, Jon Swartz, Ryan Dahlke, Andy Cullison
- Construction/Barge Inspectors: Dave Gates, Brandon Graff, Clancy Williams
- Bridge: Dave Crumley, Lenci Kappes, Amanda Jackson, Jarrod Plummer, Meghan Coon, Tyler Steffan, Trevin Burkhartsmeyer
- Maintenance Shop in Helena: Walt Kerttula, Doug Robbins, Jeremy Ackerman, Brandon Dearing, Curtis Madsen, Cole Martin, Karl Thalmann
- Butte Maintenance Area Crews: Josh Ritchie, Jim Pesanti, Brandon Smith, Eric Antikainen, Colton Morris, Ricardo Johnson, Wade Pittman, Harry Poppe, Dale Peterson, Jed Bleaker, Doug Kiewat
...and to the many others who touched this bridge repair and continue to work on other projects across Montana, helping ensure the safety of our statewide communities and the traveling public.
*Figure taken from MDT Fact Book.
Editor's Note: This story was originally written for MDT's quarterly newsletter, the Newsline. It appears in the Summer 2024 issue, on pages 1 and 6 through 7.