Delicate Arch Road Rehabilitation Winter Camp Wash Bridge
Team: Benjamin Marsh, Isaac Hilton, Koyla Vashchenko, and Matthew Fugal
Project Sumary
The Delicate Arch Road Rehabilitation Project in Arches National Park addresses frequent flash flooding that disrupts access to Delicate Arch overlook. KIMB engineers designed a bridge to replace the undersized culverts beneath the road.
Existing Site Layout
Criteria & Selection
Selection Criteria
| Flow Capacity | Construction Impact |
| Cost | Traffic Conveyance |
| Aesthetics | Maintenance |
| Long Term Impact | Visitor Disruption |
Alternatives
| Build Bridge | Expand Culverts |
| Raise Road Embankment | Do Nothing |
Selection Method
Weighted Score Analysis
Rendering of Bridge
Selected Alternative: Bridge
We recommend constructing a bridge at Winter Camp Wash. While bridges have a higher upfront cost and cause more disruption during construction, they offer clear long-term advantages:
- Superior flood flow capacity
- Lower maintenance costs
- Lowest environmental impact
These benefits make the bridge the best solution for this site.
SIII-48 Beam Cross Section
Cross Section of Entire Bridge
Structural Design
- Span: 30 feet
- Clearance: 9 feet min.
- Road Slope: 3%
- Superstructure: SIII-48 Prestressed Concrete Beam
- Foundation: 24-inch Drilled Concrete Shafts
- Wingwalls: Concrete and Gabion construction
Hec-ras Flood Simulation
Flooding is a critical consideration in bridge and roadway design—especially in desert environments where flash floods can occur with little warning.
We used hydraulic modeling software to simulate how water would move through Winter Camp Wash during a flash flood. Our simulation results are shown below.
Old Culverts
New Bridges
Key Depth in feet
Surface elevation data courtesy of United States Geological Survey.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the following individuals for their support and advice on this project: Isaiah Norman, P.E.; and James Kerrigan, P.E.; FHWA Professor Austin Ball Dr. Blake Tullis