American River Bridge

American River Bridge

American River Constructors, CEC and Joint Venture Partner Granite, won the CMGC (Construction Manager-General Contractor) award from Caltrans to work together to design and build the widened California Business 80 freeway bridge over the American River in Sacramento adjacent to the Cal Expo State Fairgrounds. The project consists of adding 54’ to the width of the existing bridge and creating a seamlessly integrated roadway. 

There are nine main piers in the river channel and flood plain. These support eight 125’ spans, each consisting of 3 large, fabricated girders. This in-water work was performed in cofferdams within the river channel and was complicated by the extremely wet winter of 2022/23. High water required suspension of the work until flood levels subsided and the cofferdams could be pumped out. Regardless, the construction year of 2023 saw completion of the foundations and columns for these main supports and the 16 additional piers for the eastern causeway of 50’ spans (typical) with 7 beams in each span. Including the two 72’ approach spans on the west end of the bridge, construction extends along 2000’ of elevated structure and includes at-grade paving and a new exit ramp at the Cal Expo interchange.

CEC and Granite have been self-performing the majority of the marine and land-based construction including the placement of concrete and all the beams and girders.