Projects

Several issues dictated the replacement of this bridge:

• The sanctioning bodies for the motorcycle and auto racing events at the track had expressed concerns due to the closeness of the old bridge abutments to the race track.
• The old bridge was very narrow, allowing only one lane of traffic to use the bridge at one time. This also put pedestrian traffic close to vehicle traffic.
• Structurally, the bridge was insufficient for heavy truck traffic.

The new bridge design has a clear span over the track of 66-feet. The new bridge is 27-feet wide, which includes two vehicle lanes and two pedestrian walkways. The new bridge complies with required abutment setbacks from the track. The width of the bridge allows for vehicle traffic in both directions, along with pedestrian traffic separated from the vehicle lanes by fencing. The new bridge is designed to handle highway rated truck traffic.

The new bridge also opens up the area to the north of the bridge for different usages because of accessibility. The area south of the bridge was regarded to provide a larger and improved spectator viewing area. The approaches off both ends of the bridge were lengthened, which lessened the previous slope, making for safer conditions.

Due to Road America’s long racing schedule, the bridge construction had to mostly occur during the winter months, which was one of the harshest winters on record. This lead to a number of construction challenges that had to be dealt with.