Building a $9.1 million bridge with more than 21,000 cars crossing daily isn’t easy. Just ask Mosser Construction and Kuhlman Corporation. The companies worked together to construct the four-lane Fort Meigs Memorial Bridge, replacing the 75-year-old, two-lane bridge between Maumee and Perrysburg.

Challenges included:

• Building a new bridge only feet away from the busy, aging bridge at a bend in the Maumee River, where construction access is extremely limited
• Dealing regularly with traffic back-ups
• Constructing six large piers in the riverbed with continually changing water levels and a strong, rapid current
• Placing 5,800 cubic yards of special high-strength concrete mix during several all-night bridge deck pours
• Closing the old bridge to traffic during fall of 2002 to construct approaches and remove the old bridge

The new bridge more than doubled vehicle capacity. Kuhlman also provided 485 cubic yards of concrete to Oglesby Construction Co. for curbs and a 13-foot-wide pedestrian and cyclist sidewalk.

“Kuhlman did the best job I’ve ever seen on delivering concrete for a bridge. We never had to wait,” declared Steve Liskai, Mosser’s superintendent for the project. “The Kuhlman people were super to deal with. Late on a Friday afternoon in October 2001, river water started rising rapidly over the cofferdam. We needed to pour a 120-cubic-yard footer before the water got too high. Kuhlman dispatchers called in mixer drivers who had left for the weekend and quickly delivered the concrete we needed. Tim Casey, Kuhlman’s manager of concrete sales, even rushed down and collected our pumps and other equipment before they were submerged.”

“Kuhlman truly partnered with us on this job. The ‘A-Team’ support provided by Tim Casey on concrete, Chuck Nauman on concrete forms, and Proctor on deck hardware and accessories was great!” exclaimed Jeff Kutnyak, Mosser’s project manager. “When we needed extra forms, Chuck got them right away. Guy refigured our hardware needs, and Tim Casey was always there for us.”

Kuhlman also provided 11,500 jumbo-sized Belden bricks for retaining walls, Symons Max-A-Form panels for the piers, Dayton/Superior bridge form hardware, plus 15 other construction products.