Highway Concession Mar 1

Project Description

The highway concession of Mar 1 encompasses a four-lane 181 km of highway, including 75 km of road rehabilitation, 33 km of road improvements, 38 km of a separate roadway, tunnels and bridges.

The highway connects Medellin with other three major cities of central Colombia. The project includes 45 km of bridges. Pedelta was responsible for the design of 46 bridges with an overall length of 5 km, including a complex crossing over the Cauca River with a 426 m long segmental concrete bridge with a main span of 170 m and prefabricated concrete girders for the approaches.

Pedelta supported the owner (ANI), Construction JV and Concessionary since the project conception, design development and construction phase, incorporating into the design value engineering concepts, such as the use of standardized solutions for multi-span girder bridges at different locations that enabled to meet the construction schedule within the target budget. Pedelta also provided engineering support during construction.

Pedelta developed standardized solutions for 42 bridges using precast post-tensioned girders that could accommodate different roadway geometries with spans ranging from 25 to 35 m, three segmental bridges with spans from 70 to 83 m, and a long-span bridge over the Cauca River built in balanced cantilever with a main span of 170 m.

Project Approach

An emphasis on collaborative planning, team collaboration and problem-solving approach to ensure sound decisions were implemented to increase stakeholder value and eliminate re-work. For instance, Pedelta produced a comprehensive study of alternatives coordinated with other disciplines such as roadway, geotechnical, hydraulic, and environmental at early design stages. These options were discussed with the contractor and owner to select the preferred solution. During the conceptual design phase, Pedelta analyzed a typical girder span bridge and studied alternatives, including pre-tensioned and post-tensioned girders, number of girders, seismic isolation and foundation systems to identify the most cost-effective structure.