Receives 2014 PCI Award

Located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Tennessee, Bridge 2 of the Foothills Parkway has received the 2014 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Award for Best Bridge with Span Over 150 Feet.

The designers choice of high-performance precast concrete was made to manage costs and to meet the National Park Service aesthetic requirements to mimic the mountain terrain geometrically and by coloring the concrete to match the native rock, gently blending it into the natural landscape. This project required a new approach that allowed various aspects of precast concrete construction to be performed concurrently. New methodology incorporated a temporary work trestle that provided access along the entire bridge alignment that could be reconfigured as work shifted from foundation and precast segmental piers to superstructure segment erection. A specialized segment walker placed segments in balanced cantilevers, significantly increasing progression over one-direction progressive placement methods.

With the use of high-performance concrete this structure will have the expected life span of 75- to 100-years, ensuring lasting enjoyment of the unobstructed views of the Great Smoky Mountains.