Northeast 45th Street Viaduct Replacement
Seattle Department of Transportation
Seattle, Washington
Exeltech was retained as prime consultant to manage planning, design, and reconstruction of this vital urban corridor in Seattle’s University District, connecting I‐5, the University of Washington’s main campus, University Village, Children’s Hospital, and surrounding neighborhoods. Exeltech managed preparation of a corridor plan, development and analysis of six alternatives and three construction staging options, environmental permitting, civil and structural engineering design, public involvement, and construction management. The project included replacement of the 468-ft west approach structure, reconstructed roadway, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements, revised horizontal and vertical alignment, significant utility coordination, and drainage design.
Exeltech’s innovative bridge and wall design and proactive project management saved the city millions of dollars (originally budgeted for a construction value of $30M, the final construction cost was $7M) and significantly shortened the construction schedule, while providing value-based, cost-effective solutions that met the critical needs of the project.
The project was completed on an extremely accelerated construction schedule with work taking place around the clock to limit bridge closure between UW’s commencement in June and the first UW football game in September. The project utilized innovative Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques to demolish and replace roadway structures across challenging topography with limited construction site access and tight urban space constraints. Access was maintained for commercial activity and to UW student housing throughout construction.
The project was awarded ACEC Washington’s 2011 Engineering Excellence Silver Award (Structural Systems).