COTTRELL TRAILERS NORTH CAMPUS EXPANSION BRIDGE

DESCRIPTION
The Cottrell Trailers Site Bridge spans 590 feet in total length and rises nearly 100 feet at its tallest point, connecting the company’s legacy South Campus to its newly developed North Campus in Gainesville, Georgia. This six-span structure utilizes a combination of 63-inch and 72-inch bulb tee girders and navigates a sustained longitudinal grade of nearly 7.5%, presenting both geometric and structural challenges. Tapered hammerhead bents were selected to economically address the significant elevation differential across the site. The bridge is anchored by an MSE retaining wall at one end and an RSS retaining wall at the other, and it crosses environmentally sensitive state waters, requiring close coordination with regulatory buffers and floodplain constraints. Choate Construction served as the general contractor for the entire bridge, with Tidwell Construction Company handling the bridge construction. Despite the site complexity and environmental constraints, the bridge was delivered on an accelerated timeline, providing critical internal access to support Cottrell’s campus expansion and continued manufacturing growth.