Geosynthetic-reinforced soil is integral component for new Maryland bridge

Federal highway program’s grant money undergirds project

A new bridge that incorporates geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) technology is in the works in Barton, Md., southwest of Cumberland, in the western part of the state.

The bridge over Moores Run on Potomac Hollow Road will cost about $800,000, most of that total covered by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment Program. That program includes prefabricated bridge elements and GRS-integrated bridge systems, providing for accelerated construction.

GRS technology, supported by the FHWA, has a proven track record in cutting both costs and construction times, especially for county engineering departments that are building relatively shorter two-lane bridges.

Ron Bygness, editor, Geosynthetics