Main Street Bridge Replacement

Town of Luray, Virginia

ORDERS Construction served as the Design-Build contractor for the Main Street Bridge Replacement project in the Town of Luray, Virginia. The project involved replacing the West Main Street/Business Route 211 bridge over Hawksbill Creek and the Luray Greenway, a highly visible and vital corridor that serves as the center of commerce and community activity within the town. The project required balancing modern infrastructure improvements with preservation of the area’s historic and environmental character.

Working closely with The Thrasher Group and the Town of Luray, the project team developed an innovative single-span bridge design that preserved the existing architectural stone walls along the creek and greenway while improving hydraulic capacity and reducing impacts to the surrounding environment. Because Hawksbill Creek is a key feature supporting local ecotourism, careful planning and environmental protection measures were maintained throughout construction.

The project site presented several unique engineering and logistical challenges. Karst geology conditions required comprehensive geotechnical investigations and specialized foundation systems, including pre-bored piles and micro-piles. In addition, the bridge structure incorporated a new 12-inch waterline within the superstructure to replace the town’s existing 8-inch line, which serves as the primary water source for the rapidly developing west side of town. To maintain uninterrupted service, a temporary aerial waterline crossing was designed and constructed upstream during demolition and bridge replacement activities.

With commercial buildings directly adjacent to the structure and the Town’s Ruffner Plaza park and stage located immediately beside the work zone, vibration monitoring and controlled construction methods were essential throughout the project. The completed bridge features sidewalks and an ornamental cast-in-place parapet railing designed to reflect the historic church-window style of the original structure, preserving the bridge’s visual identity while delivering a modern, resilient transportation asset. Completed in June 2019, the project demonstrates ORDERS Construction’s ability to successfully deliver complex, community-centered infrastructure projects through innovative design-build solutions.

Project Highlights

• Client: Town of Luray, Virginia

• Design Partner: The Thrasher Group

• Contract Value: Approximately $4.1 Million

• Completion Date: June 2019

• Challenges: Historic preservation, karst geology, waterline replacement, environmental protection, and construction within a constrained downtown corridor

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