Conveyor bridge transporting materials over roadway on Cal. Route 180 project

Updated Jan 26, 2018
Screenshot from Caltrans video.Screenshot from Caltrans video.

In the video below, Sam Yniguez, a public information officer with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), highlights a conveyor system bridge that will be used on the Kings Canyon Road (State Route 180) project in eastern Fresno County. The system will improve safety, reduce vehicle emissions, and relieve traffic congestion by transporting an estimated 800,000 tons of material from the Vulcan Materials Co. yard, over the highway, to the jobsite on the other side, thereby eliminating the need for trucks to cross the highway.

“I thought it was a great idea,” says Mike Sheffield, engineer with Security Paving Co., in the video, adding that the idea for a bridge actually came from a Vulcan Materials employee. Sheffield added that having the site in such close proximity to the materials supplier created the unique opportunity.

Once the material is on the other side of the road, it will be picked up by conventional earth moving equipment and move it to where it’s needed within the project. The conveyor bridge will be active for approximately six to eight months, has drawn interest from the construction industry, as well as the public.

“Caltrans is always looking for innovative ways to get the job done,” Yniguez notes.