Kooskia, ID, USA
In early 2017, the Buhl Highway District, located in Kooskia, Idaho, experienced a higher than normal snowfall followed by rapid snow melts. This wreaked havoc on the infrastructure across the state and River Road, northeast of Buhl, was swept away by the runoff. The existing cement box culvert was unable to handle such a high volume of water flow, causing the backed up runoff to break through the culvert and wash away the surrounding land and road. Looking ahead, Buhl Highway District decided to build a bridge to help the water flow down Deep Creek, which would, in turn, preserve the longevity of River Road. This project was fast-tracked since residents in the surrounding area were having to travel an additional 30 minutes to and from town without it. The permits were approved and the district began the project in November of 2017. As mentioned, the project was expedited and the Buhl Highway District was able to complete the construction of Deep Creek Bridge in less than 6 months.
Since there wasn’t much time allotted for completion of the project, the highway contractor working on the job contacted Portland Bolt directly to be the primary supplier of the fasteners required. The main reason for this was that the project was federally funded, requiring all of the hardware to be 100% melted and manufactured in the USA. The grade and configuration required for the hardware varied but were all within Portland Bolt’s manufacturing capabilities. The anchor rods required were fully threaded ranging from 3/4” diameter to 1-1/4”, meeting ASTM F1554 Grade 55 as well as ASTM A449. There were hex head bolts as well as dome head timber bolts, both being specified to ASTM A307 Grade A. There were also hex head lag screws required, which are only available in the marketplace as imported but are a common item for Portland Bolt to manufacture domestically. Since all of the required hardware was manufactured under one roof, the bolts were transported to the job site to keep the contractor on schedule.
