Digital Twin Tech Breaks Decades-Old Deadlock on Major I-95 Bridge Project

• 1 February 2026
• Construction Focus
• 888 Views

Engineering firm Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) has successfully utilized high-tech 3D modeling and connected data known as digital twin to solve congestion on I-95 crossing over the Rappahannock River in eastern Virginia, in the United States.

For decades, the I-95 crossing over the Rappahannock River was defined by chronic congestion and a “not-in-my-backyard” stalemate. Today, the project is moving forward, thanks to a “digital twin” that allowed the public and engineers to step into the future before a single shovel hit the ground.

The project was a logistical nightmare: adding six miles of new lanes, four new bridges, and a 1,200-foot span rising 100 feet above the river—all while navigating historic preservation sites and environmental sensitivities.

To solve the trust gap, JMT moved away from static PDFs and slideshows. Using the Bentley Systems iTwin Platform, they created a “living” digital model. This allowed stakeholders to rotate, zoom, and question the design in a web browser.

By integrating geospatial data from Cesium, the firm placed the bridge in its exact real-world context, showing residents exactly how the structure would look from their own front porches.

“We’re being asked to do more with less,” said Garth Donahue, JMT’s design center of excellence lead. “That means seeing risks earlier, communicating better, and avoiding surprises.”

The digital-first approach fundamentally changed public engagement. Virtual town halls saw three times the attendance of traditional meetings. Instead of arguing over abstract concepts, residents used the models—and in some cases, driving simulators—to experience the new traffic patterns firsthand.

“The technology didn’t eliminate disagreement,” the firm noted, “but it changed the tone.” Questions became more specific and actionable, turning a historically contentious process into a collaborative one.

The digital twin won’t be retired once the bridge is finished. JMT and Bentley Systems designed the model to evolve, incorporating drone-captured data and AI to monitor structural health in real-time, predict maintenance needs before failures occur, simulate disaster scenarios for better emergency planning.

The project’s innovative use of technology earned it the top prize in the Bridges and Tunnels category at the 2024 Going Digital Awards.

• bridge
• iTwin
• Going Digital Awards
• AI
• Cesium
• Bentley Systems
• JMT