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Dive Brief:
Diving knowledge:
The Port Authority has now completed eight of the 11 phases of the program, with two more underway and the last component planned, according to the release.
The renovated footbridge has approach paths up to 14 feet wide and with slopes no greater than 5%, according to the Port Authority. The work also added a new viewing platform at the New York entrance and an expanded New Jersey entrance plaza.
“The team developed lifting systems that could be safely used without disruption to normal bridge traffic,” David Murawski, Skanska USA Civil’s senior vice president of operations, told Construction Dive. “Custom designed temporary work platforms suspended from the main cable worked in conjunction with the lifting systems to provide safe and efficient access to all workplaces.”
The South Walk was closed in February 2023 due to suspension rope replacement work, during which pedestrians and cyclists temporarily shared the North Walk. Under the new arrangement, pedestrians will now have dedicated use of Passeig Sud, while cyclists will use Passeig Nord exclusively.
“Because the anchor points for the suspension ropes were below the pavement, it had to be removed first to replace the braces,” Murawski said. “Once the braces were replaced, the sidewalk was restored.”
Skanska will still be on site for the next few months to remove the temporary conduit and perform additional electrical work, he added.
Other recently completed phases of the Restoring the George program include the replacement of road joints and 32 deck panels on the bridge’s two towers. This year, crews have also completed the pavement rehabilitation of the upper level eastbound carriageway and the 178th and 179th Street ramps, according to the release.
Ongoing projects include the rehabilitation of the Center Avenue and Lemoine Avenue bridges, as well as the rehabilitation of the lower level steel and the replacement of mobile maintenance platforms, according to the release.
To round out the 11-project program, the Port Authority also plans to rehabilitate components of the Fort Washington, Broadway, Wadsworth, St. Nicholas, Audubon and Amsterdam over the Trans-Manhattan Expressway, according to the release.
