EAU CLAIRE , Wis. (June 14, 2006) — Drivers navigating Eau Claire’s east side will be the beneficiaries of thinner traffic this fall when the Wisconsin Department of Transportation opens its new US Highway 53 project.

Sixty of County Materials’ new 72W girders will comprise the 800-foot bridge carrying Birch Street across the Eau Claire River between Eau Claire and Altoona. The innovative beams, from County Materials’ Eau Claire location, are 72 inches high with flanges that measure 4 feet wide at the top and 30 inches at the bottom.

Three of five spans of concrete girders reach across the Eau Claire River between Eau Claire and Altoona. Sixty of County Materials’ new 72W beams, which measure 156 feet, 10 inches long, will comprise the bridge. The beams, from County Materials’ Eau Claire location, are 72 inches high with flanges of 4 feet at the top and 30 inches at the bottom.

One of the more picturesque aspects of this new 7.5-mile drive will be the 800-foot bridge spanning the Eau Claire River. County Materials is supplying its newest girder to the project, the 72W. The bridge will include 60 of these units (five spans of 12), which measure 72 inches high and – for this project – reach 156 feet, 10 inches. Each beam contains 42 .6-inch steel strands. If laid end to end, the girders would reach nearly 2 miles, and the strands would extend more than 74 miles, or well into Minnesota.

While the bottom flange of the 72W measures 30 inches wide, the top flange is 4 feet, reducing the amount of needed decking material. Its rounded edges are one more step taken to streamline the girder’s design and reduce incidental damage.

“Installation of the beams has gone well,” said Darrin Stanke, Project Manager for Zenith Tech Inc. in Mosinee, Wis. “It’s nice. They allow you to span great lengths. That length allows us to design and build bigger spans; you get all the benefits without the cost.”

The northern, 4.5-mile segment between Chippewa County OO and North Crossings/WIS 312, was opened in late June 2005. The southern 3-mile portion, which will connect the northern stretch to Golf Road, is slated to open this fall. The Birch Street bridge will connect with East Wilson Drive in Altoona and likely will open in spring 2007.

County Materials operates 30 locations serving the Midwest. The family-owned, American company is an industry leader in the manufacture and distribution of concrete block, brick, stone, ready-mix, hollowcore, pipe, pavers, retaining walls and Aggregate Finish products for residential, commercial and municipal construction and landscaping.