Bridge Aesthetics - CTE brings the art to the science
Looking out and over the skyline of Milwaukee, steeples and spires speckle this deeply-Midwestern vista. Amid smokestacks and classic vintage buildings, bordered by the blue of Lake Michigan, these gothic church steeples bring a unifying character to the city. And, that theme made its way into bridge piers of the newly-reconstructed Marquette Interchange – a massive construction project currently underway and managed by CTE that has focused intently on its visual impact to the city.
“Spires are cast into the pier shafts,” says CTE’s Tom Hessling, project manager for the interchange’s core section. “It’s subtle; but, the effect unites the Marquette Interchange to the city it serves. CTE’s job is to take a significant detail like this and make it constructible, as we oversee this complex and aesthetic project.”
CTE has been in the business of bridges for nearly 90 years. Innovation is in our blood, and bridges are our backbone. But, beyond the mechanics of designing bridges, CTE is also focusing on the aesthetics – on the art of the science – because aesthetics matter, and form a common thread through the community.
“It’s become very apparent to us that the look and feel of infrastructure within a community is not only important, it creates a sense of pride and ownership,” Dipal Vimawala, CTE’s Midwest structural manager explains.
CTE’s award-winning South Lake Shore Drive reconstruction project showcases just this type of balancing act. Chicago’s legendary roadway now features newly-designed bridges and underpasses. Near the Museum of Science & Industry campus, the new 57th Street bridges include unique architectural treatments and a gallery of local art tucked into the underpass. Historic restoration efforts, meanwhile, saved the century-old Animal Bridge – named for the structure’s famous carved rhinoceros and hippopotamus heads. Requiring complete demolition, reconstruction, and moving the bridge 20 feet from its original location, the bridge’s stone masonry was disassembled and each piece numbered, cleaned, and reassembled on the new structure.
For more than a mile in Michigan, US-131winds through downtown Grand Rapids and makes a tight S-curve around the city’s historic buildings. Arches play a role in Grand Rapids’ identity – from spans on existing bridges to architecture at Grand Valley State University. CTE created arches in retaining walls, piers, and abutments. To simulate the appearance of an arch in the steel girders, decorative steel brackets were added at the ends of spans, while large ornamental lanterns were fitted at four corners of the river bridge to emphasize a gateway to the city.
Along Chicago’s Dan Ryan Expressway, medallions designed by local students now adorn its retaining walls. Under the direction the Little Black Pearl Center, students made and submitted more than 20 original medallion designs to the Illinois Department of Transportation for final selection. And, within the scope of a grade separation project in Franklin Park, Illinois, etched murals with an historic theme were crafted to decorate retaining walls on Grand Avenue.
At the Chicago Transit Authority’s State and Van Buren elevated train station, CTE employed a totally different design technique to maintain the integrity of the location, which lies in the shadows of the visually-stunning Harold Washington Library Center. “We integrated the bridge into the station. By hiding the structure, the focus is on the magnificent station and how it complements the historic library,” Vimawala says. “What can we do to enhance and beautify the surroundings in each project? That’s our approach.”
