Eastbound Bay Bridge Deck Replacement, Phase 1
Anne Arundel/Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.
Merit Award
Sent by: Kokosing-McLean
Owner: Maryland Transportation Authority
Main design company: WSP USA
Main contractor: Kokosing-McLean JV
Civil and structural engineers: Hardesty & Hanover LLC; Modjeski and Masters
Subcontractors: Dvorak; Interlock Steelworkers Inc.; DRM Associates Inc.; All Access Rigging Co.; Atlantic Traffic Safety Inc.
As part of a program to replace more than 4,600 linear feet of bridge deck on the east span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the project team first strengthened the underlying truss by installing additional steel plates and angles and replacing 70-year-old rivets with high-strength bolts. The bridge deck was then replaced in 30-foot sections, each of which consisted of a steel frame with deck covers, rebar, and cast-in-place lightweight decking. During the overnight bridge closures, existing deck sections were cut from the truss and removed by a 600-ton barge-mounted crane. New deck sections were then lifted from another barge and set in place.
For the panel replacement, each bearing location required temporary access platforms that were advanced as the project progressed. As new panels were manufactured, they were loaded in a specific sequence to be sent to the job site. After their removal, the old panels were strategically placed in the bay to create an artificial reef.
