Tahoe Echo Summit

Tahoe Echo Summit

Caltrans was tasked with repairing and rehabilitating the bridge at Echo Summit in late 2019. The project included removing the bridge deck and replacing it with a new, reinforced section as it winds around the bend at the summit. Before the bridge deck was removed, the abutments that held the bridge deck up needed to be reinforced and filled in. Reinforcement came from rock anchors drilled into the mountain side as well as cellular concrete poured into the voids all around to hold the abutments in line. Cell-Crete installed material for 3 days pouring in 38-degree weather, with overnight temperatures reaching as low as 9 degrees. With our extensive knowledge and expertise, we were able to install the material while also weather protecting our equipment against low overnight temperatures.

The entire project footprint was limited to the roadway along the summit with a couple of small yards to store material up the road. Using cellular concrete was the only way to bring in a material that would be strong enough and self-compacting without needing a lot of space for mobilization. Cell-Crete set up in one lane and installed approximately 300 cubic yards (CY) of material into the voids. The material was strong enough to hold the abutments in place while work was completed on the bridge deck the following spring.