Keep on Truckin'

As Team Makes Its Way Through a $2.56 Billion Program, Traffic Keeps Moving

By Debra Woods

Even though Interstate 95, the East Coast's primary north-south route, crosses the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., officials opted to build a replacement drawbridge.

The V-pier design of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge serves functional and aesthetic purposes. (Photo credit: Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project)

New dual-span drawbridges will replace the existing bridge, which was completed in 1961, and will improve traffic flow on the interstate between Virginia and Maryland. The replacement bridge will cost $632 million. The entire $2.56 billion project also includes highway and interchange improvements and should be completed by spring 2008.

"We did studies to see if we could put in a high bridge," said Bob Healy, deputy director of the office of bridge development for the Maryland State Highway Administration. "We could make one fit, but that gave us some issues that were undesirable as well. It would have required steep grades."

He added that a high bridge on I-95 would be detrimental because of truck traffic.

Parsons Corp. with Mueser Rutledge consulting designed the bridge to accommodate a future commuter rail system, and the incline would have been difficult for trains. Also, Alexandria, Va., officials felt a high span would be too intrusive. The bridge crosses a park in that historic city.

Four cooperating agencies sponsored the project - the Federal Highway Administration, Virginia Department of Transportation, Maryland State Highway Administration and the District Department of Transportation. Officials spent more than 10 years planning the 7.5-mi. replacement structure and divided the project into multiple contracts.

It began with Weeks Marine Inc. of Cranford, N.J., dredging a deeper navigation channel. That job was completed in 2001.

Then the foundation work was done by Tidewater Construction Corp./Kiewit Construction Co./Clark Construction Group of Virginia Beach, Va., which wrapped up in June.

When only one contractor submitted a bid for bridge construction, transportation officials split the project into three contracts: the drawbridge; the Maryland approach, primarily over water; and the Virginia approach, mostly over land.

The Bascule A joint venture of American Bridge/Edward Kraemer and Sons of Coraopolis, Pa., received notice to proceed on its $186 billion, 600-ft. bascule section of the bridge in February, 2003. Work began on the southern, sixlane span in March 2003. When complete in 2006, traffic will be routed to the new bridge. American Bridge/Kraemer will demolish the existing structure and start on the northern span.

Each bridge has a four-leaf bascule, which operates as if it were four separate drawbridges, linked together. Normally, they will rise simultaneously, but officials can lift them independently to complete maintenance on one lane of the road at time.

"It all has to fit closely and be able to lock together," Healy said.

The deck will consist of stainless-steel rebar and light concrete. Officials chose stainless steel to prevent corrosion and future deck replacements. The approaches and piers have epoxy-coated rebar.

"It's a massive structure," said Don Bell, project manager for American Bridge/Kraemer. "The motor is not that big. It's very well balanced and engineered."

The bridge tender will operate the bascule from a seven-story, structural-concrete and curved, glazed-glass curtain wall operator's house, which is designed to look like a ship's tail section.

Transportation officials wanted an arch bridge, but soil conditions precluded it. So Parsons designed a structure with arch ribs and V-shaped supporting piers. The system has functional benefits and also creates an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

"Our concept was to use a V-pier, which minimized the bending in the foundation and tremendously reduced the amount of piling and substructure that was required," said Craig Finley, senior vice president of Parsons and bridge and tunnel division manager.

"This project has a steel superstructure, which is light and reduces the weight for the foundations."

Concrete and Steel About 45 craftsman and 12 supervisors were working on the first of four piers in November.

American Bridge/Kraemer built a floating-pontoon access bridge from the Virginia shore to the jobsite, which it uses to transport workers and small materials.

Barges bring the steel and heavier components. Concrete is pumped from shore using a permanent slick line.

The piers' lower portions, about 90 ft. high, are hollow, cast-in-place concrete. Near the bascule machinery, the piers become solid concrete. Everything is post-tensioned.

"It's one of the most difficult angles all of us have seen," Bell said. "This is about a 45-degree angle, and that's a special challenge for the workers."

Chuck Mathers, vice president of Veterans Steel Services Inc. of Elkridge, Md., said it's like working on a Stairmaster all day. His firm will furnish and place approximately 5,000 tons of reinforcing steel, including the 1,200 tons of stainless steel for the deck.

Ironworkers from Veterans began fabricating on the pier but found it too complex. They now prefabricate most cages on a work platform at the base of the pier, and the walls are then lifted into place and secured.

"This is the only portion of the bridge where they are going to fabricate the steel, place it and pour the concrete," Mathers said. "The other portions of the bridge are precast."

American Bridge/Kraemer is using EFCO forms with a traveler system to build the hollow core. The system gives the company flexibility in moving the forming system. Each segment takes two weeks to complete. Custom falsework supports the concrete until it strengthens and is post-tensioned.

American Bridge/Kraemer will set several bascule girders using twin lifts during the summer. The bridge tender's tower is also on track for a summer start.

"We've only been here for a seven-month period and have made good progress," Bell said.

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