Anita Garibaldi Bridge

Works of the second longest cable-stayed bridge of Brazil are advanced in five months

Not too much is missing now. With 94 percent physically concluded, the works of the cable-stayed bridge over the Santo Antônio dos Anjos Lagoon, in Laguna, Santa Catarina (named Anita Garibaldi Bridge) entered in their final stretch, with conclusion foreseen for May, 2015. This project, that is part of the double-runway project of BR-101 South in the state of Santa Catarina, belongs to the Departamento Nacional de Infraestrutura de Transportes (DNIT) and are being carried out by the Ponte de Laguna Consortium (Camargo Corrêa-Aterpa/M.Martins-Construbase), winner of the bidding.

This will be the third longest bridge of Brazil, only below the Rio-Niterói Bridge (RJ), 13.3 km long and of the bridge over the Rio Negro (AM), 3.9 km long. It is also the sole cable-stayed bridge built in curve with central masts whose stays are also positioned centrally, in the work axis. For the DNIT, Anita Garibaldi Bridge is the main road project being carried out currently in Brazil. The total cost of the project is estimated in R$ 597 million, financed by the federal government.

The project includes a structure (2830 m long) that crosses the Canal de Laranjeiras, connecting the neighborhoods of Cabeçuda, in Laguna and Bananal, in Pescaria Brava. The bridge will have two runways, each one with two lanes (two in Northern direction and two in Southern direction). The width of the runways will be 24.10 m in the conventional section and 26.30 m in the cable-stayed section. Each lane will be 3.6 m wide and each runway will have a shoulder 3 m wide. There will be also a central safety lane, 1.10 m wide.

Works started in June 1st, 2012 and are being carried out in an accelerated pace, being advanced five months in relation to the contracted end deadline. Works are concentrated in finishing the superstructure. Intermediate structures are concluded and 100 percent of pile driving in the bed of the Santo Antônio dos Anjos Lagoon were carried out; the 98 pillars of the conventional section are concluded as well as all bridge decks (upper part of the pillars) and the 588 staves (378 units in the 33 spans of the conventional northern section and 210 in the conventional southern section).

All bracings—structures installed in the sides of the staves to give the final dimension to the runways—are also in place in both sections. From the total of 97,000 cu.mt. of concrete to be used in the works, 72 percent were already poured, and from the total of 12,520 ton of steel reinforcement to be used, 12,382 ton (98.9 percent) are already in place.

Till the beginning of January, 88 of the 94 precast staves that will form the cable-stayed section were installed. At that time, works were concentrated in the installation of the 60 stays (ropes) that connect the central span to the northern conventional section and the southern conventional section. Works include 52 longitudinal stays and eight transversal stays (in the masts). Approximately 50 stays were already installed and prestressed.

The 400 m long cable-stayed section will be sustained by two masts 61 m high, whose construction and concrete pouring are also concluded, as well as approximately 86 percent of all works foreseen for the cable-stayed section.

In the peak time, about 1800 workers carried out the services, in three shifts when necessary.