The Fresno River Viaduct is a bridge to carry

California High-Speed Rail California High-Speed Rail (also known as CAHSR or CHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system currently under construction in California in the United States. Planning for the project began in 1996, when the California Legislature and Gover ...

over Route 145, the

Fresno River The Fresno River (Spanish for "ash tree") is a river in Central California and a major tributary of the San Joaquin River. It runs approximately from the Sierra Nevada Range to the San Joaquin River if measured from the source of Rainier Creek, ...

, and Raymond Road in

Madera County, California Madera County (), officially the County of Madera, is a county at the geographic center of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 156,255. The county seat is Madera. Madera County comprises the Madera, CA Metr ...

. The bridge was completed in 2018 It is the first permanent structure constructed as part of California High-Speed Rail. The bridge site is located just east of the city limits of

Madera, California Madera (Spanish language, Spanish for "Wood") is a city and county seat of Madera County, California, Madera County, California. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 66,224. Located in the San Joaquin Valley, Madera i ...

, approximately 20 miles northwest of the planned Fresno high-speed rail station, and approximately 10 miles southeast of the planned Chowchilla Wye. Because the site is downstream of the John Franchi Diversion Dam, the riverbed is normally dry unless heavy rains cause the dam to overtop. The bridge will be 1600 feet long and 25 feet high, and will run parallel to the BNSF Railway bridge over the Fresno River.

Construction

Construction began in June 2015. Initial work consisted of assembling rebar cages for the bridge columns and pouring concrete. In August 2015, temporary

cofferdams A cofferdam is an enclosure built within a body of water to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out. This pumping creates a dry working environment so that the work can be carried out safely. Cofferdams are commonly used for construction or re ...

were erected to excavate sand to construct the bridge's structural supports. By the end of October 2015, the work on the piles had ended and the rebar skeletons of the 16 columns had been erected. In late March 2016, concrete began to be poured for the bridge's superstructure. In October 2016, the final span of the bridge was being constructed and the rest of the deck was complete, with preparations commencing for installation of the deck's barrier wall. A year later, in September 2017, the bridge's structure was largely complete, although track and electrical work remained for a future phase of construction. Fresno River Viaduct construction 2016.jpg, Construction in January 2016. The BNSF Railway bridge is visible in the background. Fresno River Viaduct construction 2016b.jpg, Construction in September 2016.

Falsework Falsework consists of temporary structures used in construction to support a permanent structure until its construction is sufficiently advanced to support itself. For arches, this is specifically called centering. Falsework includes temporary s ...

is in place for the pouring of concrete. Fresno River Viaduct aerial 2016.png, Construction in November 2016. The riverbed is near the top of the image, and CA 145 is in the foreground.

References

External links

Fresno River Viaduct – California High-Speed Rail
{{coords, 36.983069, -120.029177, display=title California High-Speed Rail Railroad bridges in California Buildings and structures in Madera County, California Concrete bridges in California Viaducts in the United States Buildings and structures under construction in the United States