This summer Williams Construction Services provided 13 cranes to erect girders on 8 bridges as part of VDOT’s and I-66 Express Mobility Partner’s “Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” project. The design-build project with general contractor FAM Construction began in 2017 to add express lanes to a 22.5-mile stretch of I-66 from I-495 in Falls Church to Route 29 in Gainesville.
In the summer of 2020, work began in earnest on replacing many of the bridges that run over the interstate. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the WMATA Orange Line shut down, which allowed a small window for bridge work to be completed. During the maintenance shutdown, Williams Construction Services provided cranes and operators to erect bridge girders for the new spans of Cedar Lane, Gallows Road, and a new off ramp connecting I-66 Eastbound to I-495. Beyond the Orange Line, Williams Construction Services worked on Waples Mill Road, Poplar Tree Road, and Route 50 Westbound, and also widened I-66 over Cub Run and Bull Run.
Each bridge presents its own unique challenges, and requires a diverse fleet of cranes. Williams Construction Services used its 300 ton Link Belt, 210 ton Link Belt, 135 ton Grove, and 135 ton Link Belt during the execution of this project, and continues to work with FAM Construction on the remaining bridges over I-66. The “Transform 66 Outside the Beltway” project is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
See our cranes at work throughout the summer