Sam Houston Channel Bridge

AGF Access Group, Inc., has been selected by Ship Channel Constructors (SCC) to provide access equipment for the construction of the massive, new twin span stay-cable Sam Houston Ship Channel Bridge in Harris County, Texas.

AGF Access Group’s Major Projects team, along with its Hydro Mobile and Winsafe manufacturing divisions, developed a variety of standard and customized access solutions to be used during the next six years of the bridge’s construction and demolition.

Hydro Rents Inc., a company of AGF Access Group, will supply:

• a 1000 ft of stairs to access both main pylons and road deck at different locations,
• two Raxtar temporary elevators 525 feet high for pylon and form work access,
• four 90-foot custom designed Hydro Mobile traveling gantries for under bridge deck operations including stay cable installation and finishing works,
• and eight specially adapted Winsafe suspended platforms for pylon construction activities and stay cable installation.

The access equipment will improve the efficiency and safety of all workers during the construction of the bridge.

The current Ship Channel Bridge will be replaced by two one-way bridges of four lanes each. The new Sam Houston bridge will be 500 ft high, 1300 ft long, and have a total of 128 stay cables, making the bridge the sixth-longest main span in the nation and the second-longest in Texas.

AGF Access Group’s deliveries are scheduled for July 2019 through February 2020. The bridge will take six years to be completed, with the southbound bridge set for completion in 2021 and the northbound bridge in 2024.

“Given our track record, and most recently with the execution of several high-profile bridge projects including the new Champlain Bridge in Montreal and the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York, we were in a competitive position to offer these solutions under a single roof. The ability to supply access solutions from one source is both economical and efficient for the customer’s overall project management. 

“We are proud to fulfill the access needs for the Sam Houston replacement bridge project,” said Rick Harland, Regional Manager, Hydro Rents. “We have provided equipment to major projects in Texas before and fulfilled their needs with the same focus on safety and on time execution true to the Hydro Rents reputation.”

Hydro Rents provides a wide variety of equipment brands such as Hydro Mobile. There are seven branches of Hydro Rents located throughout North America, including two new locations in Charlotte, N.C. and Seattle, Wash. Each location offers a variety of construction equipment for rent at competitive prices. Hydro Rents is known for creating hazard-free work environments while increasing worker safety, security, longevity and productivity.

For more information about the project, please visit: https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/

You can also view and share the article published in the “ALH – Access, lift, handlers” Magazine.