Camp 9 Bridge Removal, New Melones Lake, CA

Accord Engineering, Inc, was contracted by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) New Melones Lake Station to implement a permit-design-construction contract for the removal and restoration of the Old Camp Nine Bridge site. This was the first time that BOR procured a contract in this streamlined arrangement. The conventional process involves permitting, engineering design, and construction as three separate contracts, and takes 2 to 3 years to complete. This unique project requires Accord Engineering to provide integrated permitting, engineering and construction services to complete the project within one year from the date of notice to proceed.

The $1.3 M project was for the removal of an old steel bridge from an upstream tributary of New Melones Lake while preserving the historical landmark associated with the bridge foundation and site location. Due to structural deterioration and possible inundation during high water season, the bridge poses safety hazards to recreational users at the site. Due to the location of the bridge, it can only be removed during low water season to minimize impact to fish and water quality in the stream. The site is located in wildlife habitats including American Bald Eagle. Therefore, protection and management of natural resources during the construction phase are critical design criteria, which, in turn, become critical criteria for permit approval. In the staged-process, the permit and design are not fully integrated and often trigger inconsistency between the two processes that jeopardize the project progress. Additionally, uncertainties on outcomes from the environmental permitting required per the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process made later design and construction work scope difficult to develop.

The project was awarded in two phases to minimize the risk of environmental permitting process exceeding the baseline schedule. Funding and award of the second phase (construction) are contingent upon the success of first phase (permitting and design). The first phase requires the NEPA permit be completed in 9 months from the award for this unique project so that the construction can be implemented in the low water season between August and October. The NEPA permit requires consultation with California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).