UHPC Solutions North America LLC to Begin Work on NJ-bound span in September
Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) officials announced that UHPC Solutions North America LLC of Orange, NJ, has been hired to undertake a more motorist-friendly overlay project on the Jersey-bound span. The project, to be done in phases, will cost about $71 million. Work is expected to commence in September.
“More than 50 years old, the bridge deck of the New Jersey-bound span has reached the end of its serviceable life and requires substantial repair and rehabilitation,” said Chief Engineer David Hoppenjans. “Based on testing and analysis performed on the bridge deck sections where the pilot overlay project was completed in September 2020, the UHPC process has more than met our expectations as a cost-effective, durable solution to restore this bridge deck.”
The project includes removal of the top two inches of the existing deck slabs and replacement with Ultra-High-Performance Concrete overlay on the New Jersey-bound Span of Delaware Memorial Bridge. The project, which will require continuous lane closures for specified time periods, will be performed in three phases noted below:
- Phase 1 (Fall 2022): Northbound Span, two right lanes (Lanes 1 & 2), west of suspended bridge midpoint (“Delaware side”) – Sept. 6 – Nov. 22.
- Phase 2 (Spring 2023): Northbound span, two left lanes (Lanes 3 & 4), for the full length of the bridge – Feb. 1, 2023 – May 25, 2023
- Phase 3 (Fall 2023): northbound wpan, two right lanes (Lanes 1 & 2), west of suspended bridge midpoint (“New Jersey side”) – Sept. 5, 2023 – Nov. 21, 2023
Two lanes will be closed to traffic throughout each overlay placement period – with an additional third lane shut down during the overnight hours. The traveling public should expect traffic congestion and delays heading into New Jersey.
Construction activity associated with this project will be suspended during the winter months and the peak summer travel season.
The project entails the removal of the old deck to a depth of two inches using hydro demolition, repair of the reinforcing mat, partial and full-depth deck repairs as necessary, replacement of transverse deck relief joints and expansion joints, and replacement with a UHPC deck overlay.
A recently completed bridge deck study on the New Jersey bound structure noted that the bridge deck was exhibiting accelerated deterioration and needs substantial repair.
Hoppenjans added that a full deck replacement is a significantly more expensive alternative, takes longer to construct, and is much more disruptive to traffic compared to the UHPC deck overlay process. The UHPC application has lower initial and life cycle costs; a shorter, more flexible construction schedule, and prevents salt intrusion when compared to a full deck replacement program. The final product will be stronger than the original deck, he said.
Not on the schedule is similar work on the Delaware span of the bridge, which is in better shape than its New Jersey neighbor.
