William R. Bennett Bridge

The William R. Bennett Bridge in Kelowna is one of a very few floating bridges in the world, crossing Okanagan Lake with a water depth of over 180 feet below the bridge deck. The construction of this new floating bridge posed many unique engineering and erection challenges.

KWH erected the 1,100-foot long, 5-girder wide, 6-span westside bridge structure, as well as the pontoon-supported steel ramps on the east approach. To support the balanced pier girders, KWH employed a proprietary specialized shoring bracket system. The long-span drop-in girders required the use of a stiffening truss to provide lateral stability to the first girders placed in each span.

The extra-long girders forming the hinged transition between the fixed piers and the floating pontoons were supported on KWH's high-capacity shoring installed directly on the end of the last pontoon — a technically demanding solution that allowed the structure to accommodate the dynamic movement of the floating sections while maintaining structural integrity throughout erection.