CEE 17 (Pedestrian Bridge over North Virginia Street Roundabout), Innovation Day 2021

Team: Sophia Jacobson, Elena Collins, Jakob Hedger, Joel Ragamat

External Advisor: Andrew Lawrence, P.E. — Nevada Department of Transportation

A new roundabout has been constructed near Lawlor Event Center. While roundabouts provide better traffic flow and reduce vehicle accidents, they do not always account for high pedestrian traffic. This peak pedestrian and vehicle traffic can happen during many of the University's many events or between class transition times. Our civil engineering team, Civil Legacy Engineering, has designed a pedestrian bridge that will be built over the roundabout to alleviate the number of pedestrians crossing Virginia St and reduce traffic lag time. The team has used our learning experience at the University to develop and analyze a steel truss bridge with a concrete deck. The design consists of estimating loads and forces, selecting materials, and creating a construction timeline that is economical and meets regulated requirements. The bridge will also have designs meant to symbolize the state of Nevada, with NV lettering seen on the truss. The bridge should provide the ability for students and members of the community the ability to traverse Virginia St safely. This can bring access to restaurants, businesses, new apartment complexes, and the new bus stop extension.