The Gilman Drive Bridge at the University of California San Diego provides a link over Interstate 5 for students, faculty and visitors commuting between the East and West campuses.
As a nationally ranked university, known for cutting edge research, UC San Diego sought an innovative bridge of a design quality on par with the accomplishments of the university. Moffatt & Nichol developed bridge concepts with UC San Diego Design & Construction staff that included a standard two-span box girder, a three-span frame, and a modern concrete arch. The University chose the arch because of its elegant shape, which is unique within the I-5 corridor. The 406-foot-long bridge completes the long planned campus loop road and provides a much needed second crossing for the growing campus by extending Gilman Drive across the freeway to provide a connection for buses, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians. As the prime consultant to UC San Diego Facilities Design & Construction, Moffatt & Nichol led the design of the 32 million dollar project and provided civil, roadway and bridge engineering. Moffatt & Nichol coordinated closely with Caltrans and SANDAG to accommodate the MidCoast Trolley project and provided engineering support during construction.
