Bridge Rehabilitation
This Locally Administered Federal Aid Project involved the rehabilitation of a historic one-lane steel-truss bridge and the replacement of water, sanitary sewer, and gas lines in Ithaca, NY. It also entailed installing a new pedestrian sidewalk over Fall Creek.
The original bridge was constructed in 1909 and had undergone numerous rehabilitations and repairs.
This high-profile project attracted attention from – and required coordination with – nearby residents and Cornell University.
Erdman Anthony provided a full range of services, including preliminary and final design and construction support services for the new 117-foot multigirder bridge. Our firm also provided support to complete the field inspection, project records, construction quantities, record plans, and all reports for the client.
To meet the project objectives for an unposted bridge, a less conventional rehabilitation scheme was developed that entailed:
- Removing the existing roadway floor system and replacing it with a steel multigirder superstructure and a composite concrete deck.
- A new superstructure that spans the creek independently of the existing trusses, which remain in place.
- Variable-depth girders to minimize the impacts on the approaches.
- Top flanges of the girders that follow the vertical curvature of the roadway. The bottom flanges are straight.
The historic truss structure was rehabilitated and then remounted on top of the new bridge to retain the design’s original aesthetics. Specifically,
- The truss was moved to an area adjacent to the bridge, where it was repaired while the new bridge was constructed and then moved back through a series of crane lifts.
- The bottom chords of both trusses were entirely replaced.
- The end posts at the four corners of the truss were partially replaced, and the entire truss structure was cleaned and repainted.
A new pedestrian sidewalk and crosswalks were designed to improve safety and provide access to the site’s scenic views.
Awards
2014 Project of the Year Award
American Public Works Association (APWA), Southern Tier Branch
2014 Project of the Year Award
American Public Works Association (APWA), New York Chapter
2015 Diamond Award
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of New York
2015 National Recognition Award
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)