How Is a Bridge Built? Step-by-Step Guide for 2026 | Amundson Group

Last updated October 5, 2026 · Compiled from Amundson Group placement records and public market data.

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A bridge is built in five phases: preconstruction and design, foundations, substructure, superstructure, and finishing and commissioning. Each phase hands off to the next, and the order rarely changes whether the structure is a two-lane county overpass or a multi-span interstate crossing. Below is how the sequence actually plays out on a heavy civil jobsite, and who does the work at each step.

The five phases of bridge construction

• Preconstruction and design. Engineers survey the site, run geotechnical borings, model loads and hydraulics, and produce stamped plans. Estimators price the job, schedulers build the baseline, and the owner (often a state DOT) awards the contract.
• Foundations. Crews install the elements that carry the bridge into the ground: driven piles, drilled shafts, or spread footings. Over water, this often means cofferdams or caissons to create a dry work area.
• Substructure. Abutments at each end and piers or bents in between are formed, reinforced, and poured. Pier caps on top create the seats where the span will rest.
• Superstructure. Girders (steel plate, precast concrete, or cast-in-place box) are set by crane onto bearings, then the deck is formed, reinforced, and poured in sequence.
• Finishing and commissioning. Barriers, railings, expansion joints, drainage, lighting, approach slabs, and paving go in. The structure is load-rated, inspected, and opened to traffic.

Foundations and substructure: where the schedule is won or lost

Foundation work is the least visible and the most consequential part of a bridge build. Pile driving and drilled shaft installation depend on what the soil borings predicted, and when conditions differ, the project engineer and superintendent are rewriting the plan in real time. Cofferdam dewatering, tremie concrete placed underwater, and tight tolerances on pier alignment all require foremen who have done it before. A pier cap poured a few inches off means a girder that will not seat, which is why experienced heavy civil superintendents are the first hire on any bridge job.

Superstructure and deck: setting steel and pouring concrete

Girder erection is the signature moment of a bridge build. Crews set beams by crane, often during night lane closures over live traffic or from barges over water. Once girders are braced, ironworkers tie deck reinforcing and carpenters build the formwork or set stay-in-place pans. Deck pours follow a strict placement sequence so the structure deflects evenly as the concrete cures. From there, barrier walls, joints, and approach roadway work bring the bridge to opening day.

Who builds a bridge

A typical bridge team includes a project manager who owns budget and owner relations, a superintendent who runs the field, project engineers who handle submittals and quantities, a scheduler who tracks the critical path, an estimator who priced the work and often supports change orders, and craft foremen leading pile, concrete, rebar, and ironworker crews. These are exactly the heavy civil roles Amundson Group recruits.

Why bridge talent is hard to find in 2026

Per the 2026 AGC and NCCER workforce survey, 87% of construction firms had open craft positions and 88% of those with openings said craft roles were as hard or harder to fill than a year earlier. The same survey found 82% of firms had salaried openings, which covers the project managers and engineers a bridge job cannot start without. AGC also reported construction job openings at 251,000 in August 2026, above the 213,000 recorded a year prior, with construction unemployment at 3.1% in August 2026, the lowest month in the 26-year series AGC referenced. Delays follow directly: 42% of firms told AGC and NCCER they had projects held up by shortages of their own workers or their subcontractors’ workers. Bridge contractors also compete for the same civil and concrete talent that data center programs are pulling in, with 58% of AGC respondents reporting increased data center construction activity.

How Amundson Group supports bridge contractors

Amundson Group is a Houston-headquartered, veteran-owned construction recruiting firm and an Inc. 5000 honoree in 2024 and 2025. We recruit for heavy civil (highways, bridges, earthwork, grading), site development, data center, rail, tunnels, and wastewater contractors nationwide, placing superintendents, project managers, project engineers, estimators, schedulers, foremen, skilled trades, and construction executives. To date we have made 1,200+ construction placements across 250+ construction companies served, drawing on a network of 90,000+ construction professionals, with an average of 7 hours from job intake to first qualified resume. Amundson Group does not place commercial, energy or oil and gas roles. Houston, Texas is our only office, and we serve clients in all 50 states, with our deepest roots in Texas, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Nashville, Phoenix, Denver, and the Virginia corridor.

If you are staffing a bridge project, visit our hire talent page to start a search. For current compensation ranges on heavy civil roles, see our construction salary guide, which is drawn straight from where the hiring happens, our recruiting desks, across a network of 90,000+ construction professionals, and cross-checked against authoritative sources such as BLS, AGC, ENR, and industry surveys.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main stages of building a bridge?

Bridge construction follows five stages in a fixed order. Preconstruction covers surveys, geotechnical borings, engineering design, estimating, and contract award. Foundations come next, with driven piles, drilled shafts, or footings, often inside cofferdams over water. The substructure phase builds abutments, piers, and pier caps. The superstructure phase sets girders by crane and pours the deck in a controlled sequence. Finishing and commissioning adds barriers, joints, drainage, lighting, and approach paving before inspection and load rating. Each stage depends on the accuracy of the one before it, which is why experienced superintendents and project engineers are hired first.

How long does it take to build a bridge?

Duration depends on span length, site conditions, and whether the work is over water or live traffic. A simple highway overpass can move from foundations to open traffic in a single construction season, while a long multi-span river crossing can run several years. Foundation work tends to drive the schedule because subsurface conditions can differ from the borings, forcing redesign. Night-only lane closures, environmental windows for in-water work, and material lead times on steel girders also stretch timelines. Labor availability matters too, since AGC and NCCER reported in 2026 that 42% of firms had projects delayed by worker shortages.

Who are the key people on a bridge construction crew?

A bridge job is led by a project manager who owns budget, schedule, and owner relations, and a superintendent who runs the field day to day. Project engineers manage submittals, quantities, and quality documentation. A scheduler maintains the critical path, and an estimator supports pricing and change orders. In the field, foremen lead pile driving, drilled shaft, concrete, rebar, and ironworker crews, supported by crane operators and skilled trades. On larger programs, construction executives oversee multiple bridge projects. These are the heavy civil roles Amundson Group places for contractors nationwide.

Why is it hard to hire bridge construction talent in 2026?

Demand for civil and structural talent is high while supply is thin. Per the 2026 AGC and NCCER workforce survey, 87% of firms had open craft positions and 82% had salaried openings, and 88% of firms with openings said craft roles were as hard or harder to fill than a year earlier. AGC reported construction unemployment at 3.1% in August 2026 and job openings at 251,000 that month. Bridge contractors also compete with data center programs for the same concrete, earthwork, and management talent. Amundson Group averages 7 hours from job intake to first qualified resume on heavy civil searches.

Start a search with Amundson Group. Average 7 hours from job intake to first qualified resume.