Aerial of multi-layered bridges

The President George Bush Turnpike Western Extension provides an 11.5-mile link in the growing loop around Dallas.  The corridor consists of the tolled main lanes, known as the Western Extension, and the frontage roads, which are referenced as State Highway 161.  The corridor features cashless tolling on the main lanes in each direction between just north of I-30 south to I-20.

Aguirre & Fields served as the Deputy Structural Task Lead for the 6.5-mile stretch of SH 161 from I-30 to I-20. This was the first design-build project for the North Texas Tollway Authority. Our team set preliminary span arrangements for 53 bridges during the proposal stage of development.  In final design, Aguirre & Fields oversaw the development of all calculation tools, validations, design protocols, bridge work point submittals, and all inter-discipline plan reviews during each submittal stage. Our team designed 12 bridges and also completed independent design calculations for 13 bridge packages and a direct connector containing two horizontally curved, continuous steel plate girder units.

Aguirre & Fields was also the Retaining Wall Task Lead in the design and geometric development of 92 retaining walls. These walls included single and double tied-back drilled shaft, cantilevered drilled shaft, and mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls.

A unique aspect of this project was the design of a cut-n-cover structure at the depressed at-grade connector in the northeast corner of the I-30 interchange. Due to lack of right-of-way, it would have been necessary to employ retaining wall systems with heights exceeding 40 feet. This would require difficult-to-construct struts from wall to wall. Aguirre & Fields designed a tunnel-like structure greater than 200-feet-long. The tunnel structure consisted of 54-inch diameter drilled shaft walls covered by a structural top slab. This greatly reduced the cost of the system.

Aerial of President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Aerial view of President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Aerial view of President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Aerial view of President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Aerial view of President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Aerial view of President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Bridge view from lower level of President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Retaining wall at President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Retaining wall at President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161
Retaining wall at President George Bush Turnpike, SH 161