After clearing the path for the Skiffes Creek Connector, VDOT's contractor crews have been busy this summer working on the ground support structures that form the foundations for the two bridge crossings that are part of the new Connector roadway, between Route 60 (Pocahontas Trail) and Route 143 (Merrimac Trail) in James City County.
Once complete, the Connector will include a 2-lane bridge over Skiffes Creek and a second crossing spanning Route 143 and its adjacent CSX railroad tracks.
At each bridge site, work continues to place below-grade support piles as part of the reinforced concrete pier and abutment footings of the bridges. Motorists traveling along Route 143 may catch a view of the large red crane (pictured top right) used to help place steel support piles for the bridge pier.
Additionally, construction of the retaining walls has begun at each bridge. At the Skiffes Creek bridge, tiered concrete footers for cast-in-place concrete retaining walls have been poured trailing behind each of the bridge’s abutment footing. Along Route 143 and the CSX railroad tracks, the erection of precast concrete panels that make up the mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall can be seen. These walls are supported with the placement of large stone beds, reinforced steel anchors and concrete panels. Work this fall will continue the construction of each bridge's columns, pier caps, and abutment caps to prepare for bridge girder and deck placement in late 2021 and early 2022.
Roadway activities continue throughout other areas of the project, including relocating power and telecommunication utilities along the Connector path, maintaining temporary stormwater basins and critical environmental facilities, and geotechnical exploring for signal foundations at Route 60 and Route 143 intersections. Grading and earthwork activities will continue through the fall to prepare for construction of the roadway surface. Concurrently, storm sewer pipe installation for the permanent drainage system will be installed along the Connector path.