The Galecopper Bridge is a crucial part of the Dutch highway system, spanning the Amsterdam- Rhine Canal. As part of ongoing maintenance and inspections, corrosion and wire breaks were discovered in the south bridge’s main cables, requiring the existing cables to be replaced to maintain the safety of the bridge for the future. This paper addresses the structural and management challenges associated with aging infrastructure while ensuring its continued operation. Initial assessments determined that cable replacement was essential, with interim solutions involving monitoring of the wire breaks and temporary strengthening solutions where required.The paper discusses the feasibility study that explored multiple replacement options, each focusing on minimizing traffic disruption to keep the bridge available for the public. Various strategies were evaluated with this priority in mind, addressing structural demands, stakeholder constraints, and cost-effectiveness.The paper explains the key principles of the chosen solution – namely matching the stiffness of the new cables to that of the existing system to reduce the impact of cable replacement on the bridge structure. This paper details the challenges, design decisions, and technical innovations that shaped the project and provides insights into the effectiveness of the chosen approach for sustaining critical infrastructure.
Murphy et al. (Wed,) studied this question.