US 20 / US 31 Interchange – South Bend

Ciorba Group was the prime consultant providing preliminary engineering and final design for the replacement of the existing US 20 bridge over US 31 with a new two-span bridge and improved interchange geometrics.

The replacement of the US 20 bridge over US 31 in South Bend was necessary due to the poor condition of the existing bridge as well as the substandard vertical clearance over US 31. The substandard vertical clearance resulted in repeated hits to the beams with the need for subsequent repairs. The new two span structure has an individual span length less than the maximum span length of the previous bridge. The reduced span length allows for a shallower superstructure depth to increase the vertical clearance. The profile of US 20 was raised and the US 31 pavement below the bridge was also reprofiled (lowered) and reconstructed to further increase the vertical clearance and meet current standards. The project required a complex maintenance of traffic scheme to keep traffic flowing safely through the interchange and the ramps during all stages of construction. Aesthetic improvements were part of this project and were coordinated with the City of South Bend as this project is a gateway to the City.