Garland Road

Garland Road was the kind of project that put both design and budget to the test. Tight site conditions and rising construction costs quickly limited the Town of Charleston’s options, pushing the team to seek a solution that could deliver long-term reliability without adding complexity. Velpont rose to the top as a practical, field-ready bridge alternative that met engineering requirements while simplifying installation.

THE CHALLENGE: High Excavation Risk and Budget Pressure

The Garland Road crossing presented a tricky mix of site constraints, making traditional alternatives such as four-sided box culverts or bolted corrugated squash arches impractical.

The stream corridor featured shallow ledges, with rock sitting just below the surface along the banks. There wasn’t much room to dig before hitting solid stone, which makes deep excavation slow, expensive, and disruptive. The banks also offered limited cover, with minimal soil depth available above the stream and along the approaches. This tight vertical space restricted how much material could be placed over the crossing structure and how deeply it could be embedded.

All of this matters when you’re trying to maintain natural water flow and protect fish passage. Installing a four-sided box culvert required more digging and greater disruption. A bolted corrugated squash arch offered lower material costs on paper, but the required field assembly, bolting, and careful backfilling would have added significant labor time and complexity. Both traditional options would have required more excavation and in-stream work, constricting the channel, altering velocities, and creating barriers to upstream fish movement. Making the decision even easier, the all-in total project pricing for both traditional alternatives was also well above the Town’s budget.

THE SOLUTION: Reduced Risk by Design

Velpont was submitted as an approved bridge alternative and quickly received full support from the project engineer as a solution that met design and performance requirements.

Velpont abutment blocks were produced by local manufacturer Dirigo Bridge Co. and paired with another Aster Brands solution, Redi-Rock retaining walls, to construct 45-degree wing walls that complemented the structure.

The modular, open-bottom bridge system addressed the project’s biggest concerns from the start. Choosing Velpont:

• Reduced excavation uncertainty by working with the shallow ledge instead of fighting it
• Limited in-stream activity by spanning the natural channel
• Simplified installation with precast components that minimized field assembly

By integrating Redi-Rock wingwalls with matching face textures, the project achieved both structural stability and a cohesive, natural look.

THE PROJECT: Efficient Installation in Challenging Conditions

The Velpont system was installed in just eight days. While paving and guardrail work extended the full reopening timeline, the bridge structure itself went in quickly and efficiently, and far faster than a traditional culvert crossing would have allowed.

Compared to the box culvert and bolted squash arch alternatives, Velpont offered:

• Less excavation
• Fewer installation steps
• Less time working in the stream
• Reduced exposure to weather and site-related risks The result was shorter road disruption and a smoother overall construction process.

THE OUTCOME: Cost-Effective, Resilient Infrastructure

In the end, the Garland Road project delivered exactly what the Town needed: a durable, budget-conscious stream crossing built for long-term performance.

The open-bottom design allows the stream to function naturally while supporting reliable hydraulic performance during high-water events. With fewer concerns about constriction, scour, and long-term maintenance, the Town gained a structure built to last a lifetime.