Southeast Connector Arch Bridge over the Des Moines River Concept Study

Ciorba Group developed a concept study for a 360 foot signature-type tied through-arch bridge over the Des Moines River in the City downtown. The tied-arch featured two steel arch ribs laterally unbraced and a concrete deck continuous with the arch post tensioned tie to carry a multi-lane roadway connecting the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway at Southwest 2^nd Street to the U.S. 65 bypass. The crossing was part of the Southeast Connector project and part of a bridge type study that the City required client to cover the different aspects related to structural functionality, aesthetics and sensitivity to the context. Different concepts were presented to a steering committee identified by the City. The City moved on with a PPC I-beam bridge for budget reasons.