Patent ID: 6808335
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: E01C,E01D

Abstract:
A method of reconstructing a predetermined section of an existing roadway with minimal disruption of existing traffic, said existing roadway, which is governed by a transportation authority, providing a plurality of existing travel lanes carrying said existing traffic along said existing roadway, said existing traffic having periods of peak traffic and periods of off-peak traffic, said method of reconstructing comprising the stages of:(A) first erecting a new elevated roadway atop said existing roadway, said new elevated roadway of a predetermined length disposed substantially above said predetermined section of said existing roadway so that a longitudinal axis of said new elevated roadway is aligned mostly along said existing roadway, said new elevated roadway, providing a plurality of elevated travel lanes, comprises a predetermined number of bridging units and a predetermined number of ramp units, at least one of said ramp units shall be a moveable ramp unit equipped with means for propelling said moveable ramp unit along said existing roadway, each of said bridging units having a roadway deck oriented mostly parallel to said existing roadway, each of said ramp units having a mostly inclined roadway deck, said erecting comprising the steps of: (a) erecting said predetermined number of said ramp units by: (i) closing a predetermined portion of a predetermined number of said existing travel lanes to said existing traffic for a predetermined period of time after rerouting with minimal disruption said existing traffic onto the existing travel lanes that remain open to said existing traffic, (ii) erecting at least two of said ramp units, at least one of which shall be a moveable ramp unit, atop the closed portion of said existing travel lanes so that an uppermost end of said moveable ramp unit is adjacent to and faces an uppermost end of another of said ramp units, thereby creating a continuous portion of said new elevated roadway, which is prepared for passage of said existing traffic, and (b) repeatedly, until said predetermined number of said bridging units is erected, (i) closing a previously erected portion of said new elevated roadway to said existing traffic during a period of off-peak traffic after rerouting with minimal disruption said existing traffic onto the existing travel lanes that remain open to said existing traffic, (ii) breaking continuity of said previously erected portion of said new elevated roadway by moving said moveable ramp unit along said existing roadway thereby creating a gap between said movable ramp unit and a remainder of said previously erected portion of said new elevated roadway, (iii) bridging said gap between said movable ramp unit and said remainder of said previously erected portion of said new elevated roadway by erecting at least one of said bridging units in the gap, thereby creating an extended portion of said new elevated roadway, which is continuous and is prepared for passage of said existing traffic, (iv) opening said extended portion of said new elevated roadway, which is continuous and is prepared for passage of said existing traffic, to said existing traffic prior to the next period of said peak traffic while rerouting with minimal disruption said existing traffic onto said extended portion of said new elevated roadway during said period of peak traffic; (B) then restoring a predetermined area of said existing roadway by repeatedly, until said restoring of said predetermined area is completed. (a) closing a predetermined length of a predetermined number of said existing travel lanes to said existing traffic for a predetermined period of time after rerouting with minimal disruption said existing traffic onto the existing travel lanes that remain open to said existing traffic, (b) restoring said predetermined length of said predetermined number of said existing travel lanes closed to said existing traffic, and (c) opening the restored length of said existing travel lanes to said existing traffic, whereby the reconstructing of said existing roadway will be performed with minimal disruption of said existing traffic.