PBS&J Constructors (Constructors) was hired by the District School Board of Collier County to design and build a bridge over a canal in southeast Florida’s Golden Gate community, to create a shorter and safer alternative to the route students were using to get to a local high school.

This project presented various challenges because the site was an existing school and part of an established neighborhood. The safety of the students was top priority, but the client’s schedule and minimizing adverse affects to existing neighbors was also a consideration.

The Constructors’ project team served as facilitators of the construction process, selecting appropriate team members to design and construct the project. They also supervised the entire process to ensure that the project was delivered to the owner in accordance with the contract plans and specifications; that problems and conflicts were resolved; and that impediments to progress were identified and mitigated.

Constructors subcontracted the project to its sister company, PBS&J, which managed the review and permitting process. Although the original design criteria package for the bridge project included 45 feet of bridge and three bents, our value engineering indicated that a flat slab design with five bents and 27-foot spans would be an equivalent alternative. The flat slab design resulted in significant cost savings for the school board.

The bridge design took 24 weeks to complete with construction completed on August 17, 2007, 10 days ahead of schedule. Schedule was a high priority as this bridge was required to be completed prior to the start of the 2007-2008 school year. The project included demolition of two existing houses, which took place in December of 2006 and the mobilization on the site and construction of the bridge began in February of 2007. The cost of this design-build project was approximately $3.3 million and did not include any change orders.