#2 Overlook bridge almost finished!

This week we did a lot of work to try to repair the bridge on #2 Overlook.  The bridge had been badly washed out under one side, so we had to do something to prevent further damage.  I will show you in the pictures how we went about fixing the problem!

First thing we had to do was remove the panel of concrete that connected the cart path to the bridge.  This was the concrete which was completely washed out underneath.  You can see in this picture the large void between bridge and concrete.  The main irrigation line is the large yellow pipe in the picture.  Our crew was very careful not to damage this pipe at all!

This is another photo showing the large area which was washed out under the concrete.  You can see some pieces of concrete laying in the bottom that fell in the void when we were removing.

Once we had all the concrete removed from the hole, it was time to build the walls.  We used some large boards to give us a wall to hold the dirt and prevent from ever washing out again.

We then installed a plastic sheeting along the wall for further protection and erosion prevention!

When it was time to back fill the area with dirt, we methodically tamped the dirt each time we dumped.  By tamping the dirt we can assure the least amount of settling possible.

On the water side of the boards, we decided to install some rip-rap along the bottom of the wall.  We hope this will prevent any dirt washing out from underneath the wall.  

This is still a work in progress, as we still have to back fill with dirt and rocks along the "wing walls" of the bridge.  The rocks should help protect the wall from the water currents during heavy rains.

Last but not least the new concrete is poured to re-connect the cart path to the bridge.  

Here is a view of the downstream side of the bridge.  We will also back fill this wall with dirt and rocks next week to finish the project.