About an hour west of St. Louis in the heart of the Missouri River Valley is the picturesque city of Hermann. Founded in the 19th century, German immigrants were drawn to the area because of its similarity to the Rhine Valleys in Germany. It has become a popular destination, attracting thousands of tourists each year.

The historic, old-world architecture contributes to the charm of the city; however, they pay close attention to the aging infrastructure to ensure they remain safe and functional. The Market Street Bridge crossing Frene Creek is an example that required attention in 2024. The original bridge was installed in the 1800s with an updated version unveiled in the 1930s. After nearly 100 years of traffic, it was time to rehabilitate the aging bridge to ensure greater safety and accessibility for motorists and pedestrians.

Spearheaded by Don Schnieders Excavating Company, the Market Street Bridge project had a few key objectives to consider. First, a wider bridge profile to accommodate larger vehicles and additional space for pedestrians. Next, longevity and minimal maintenance requirements were important to eliminate future closers of the busy throughfare. Finally, and perhaps most challenging, the team would only have a 75-day window to complete the entire project.

With support from engineering firms Civil Design, Inc. and TEG Engineering, the team selected a galvanized press-brake formed steel tub girder solution fabricated by an industry leader in global infrastructure solutions. After careful planning with the project partners, 15 customized U-BEAM girders were created to meet all necessary standards and specifications. The installation was seamless, with no field welding or on-site adjustments required. Additionally, all but one of the beams were installed in a single day. Due to inclement weather, the final beam was set the following day.

Hot-dip galvanizing played a pivotal role in not only hitting the initial project objectives but also protecting the structure for generations to come. With numerous installations across the country, the U-BEAM bridge girder is always specified for galvanizing due to its long lifespan, durability, and corrosion performance. For this project, the quick turnaround time galvanizing provides also helped the team meet deadline requirements.

As its first on-system bridge replacement, this successful project provides excellent exposure for the U-BEAM bridge as well as hot-dip galvanizing. “This superstructure replacement project was a good candidate for the U-BEAMs because the existing abutments were only 18” wide. The narrow bearings of the girders allowed reuse of more of the existing substructure.” -D. Heckman, PE - Civil Design, Inc.