Local Project Feature: Midway Bridge

Mathews Readymix has been a hometown brand for over 76 years now, and we’re proud to have roots in our Northern California communities! No matter where you go in Butte, Yuba, and Sutter counties, you’re sure to see one of our blue-stripe trucks zipping around—including on our Midway Bridge project.

What is the Midway Bridge Project?

For many years now, the two bridges over Midway, just south of Durham, have been deteriorating. They were both built over 100 years ago, spanning Butte Creek, but they weren’t up to current standards of quality and durability. And during heavy rainfall, the bridges would have to close, making it difficult for motorists during rainy seasons. The new Midway Bridge Project replaced these two bridges with just one. At the overall tune of 23 million dollars, the new bridge is expected to last over 100 years. 

Image courtesy of Chico Enterprise-Record.

How much concrete was used?

For this massive bridge project, over 11,000 cubic yards of concrete were used. To put it in perspective, that’s enough to fill 33.64 Olympic-sized swimming pools! And since the bridge needed to be durable and able to withstand heavy loads, Mathews Readymix used a specialty concrete called Cast in Place Drilled Hole mix used for the piles. This mix is complex because it must stay at a high slump (more fluid) for an extended period (around 6 hours for this particular job) yet has to reach 4000psi strength at 28 days. We also used a Bridge Deck mix with a special fiber package standard for Caltrans projects. 

What are the benefits of the new Midway Bridge?

The most important benefit is a safer passage for drivers in this area. Instead of two bridges not up to safety standards, there’s now one 1,404-foot-long modern bridge meeting all current quality and durability requirements for structures. Another bonus is the area will no longer need to close during extreme weather conditions, and the community now has a bypass route for Highway 99 during emergencies. The north and south communities in Butte County officially have a reliable and safe structure over Butte Creek. Mathews Readymix was honored to be a part of making it happen! 

At Mathews Readymix, we pride ourselves on having products you can trust, quality you can see, and service you can count on. We have three batch plants servicing Butte, Yuba, Sutter Counties, and other surrounding areas to take care of our communities. Do you have a concrete project? Contact us today and find out how we can help!