A few years ago, a single lane bridge in upstate New York was replaced. It was affectionately known to local residents as the Thunder Bridge, from the loud banging that ensued when cars drove over its loose timber decking.
“Shortly after the new bridge went in I had a call from the adjacent neighbor, right on top of the bridge, complaining that he could not sleep at night any more,” recalled Bo Mansouri of Monroe County Department of Transportation (DOT) in New York state. “He blamed the quietness of the new bridge for his dilemma.”
A similar fate may be in store for those living near the Stutson Street bridge over the Genesee River in Rochester. Anyone who has driven over the bridge will remember its loud, distinctive bumpety-bump as they rattled across its steel grid deck. Now, however, the 84-year-old bridge is being replaced by a new structure that will feature a closed deck with partial concrete fill, thus ensuring a smoother and quieter ride.
Funding for the $63.9-million construction project will be split three ways, said Mansouri, Monroe County DOT bridge engineer and project manager of the job. “Eighty percent will be provided by the federal government, 15 percent by the state of New York and 5 percent by Monroe County. The county legislature has authorized an $84-million bonding for construction and all incidentals related to the job, such as inspection, right of way acquisition, engineering services, the contingency fund and so on,” he said.
“The county will finance the project up front and seek reimbursement from the state and federal government on an ongoing basis,” he added.
Cooperation between state and county extends beyond financing the project.
“This is a county owned and operated bridge,” Mansouri pointed out. “Both New York State and Monroe County Departments of Transportation managed the planning and design portion of the project and the county will manage the construction phase. The county and the state have collaborated closely throughout the project development and will continue in the same tradition during construction. The state will provide EIC’s, shop drawing reviews and testing services for the job.”
Like its predecessor, the replacement bridge will be operated by Monroe County. The anticipated completion date of the new bridge is October 2002 and the existing structure will be removed by October 2003.
Project design under the direction of the New York State and Monroe County DOTs was carried out by Bergmann Associates PC of Rochester. The company estimated that costs for the job would be reduced by $1.9 million through its Project Labor Agreement, which specified that at least 75 percent of workers on the job must come from local union halls although they did not have to be union members. Some 15 labor unions are involved in the project and there is a no-strike clause. In addition, the agreement also gives better scheduling flexibility to contractors, thus pleasing both sides of the table.
The prime contractor for the massive project is Crane-Hogan Structural Systems Inc. of Spencerport, NY. Founded by Daniel C. Hogan (now president and CEO), the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in October 2000, and can look back on almost 500 projects completed during its quarter century of doing business.
According to the company, the job is not only its largest so far, but also is much more complex and detail-oriented than any it has undertaken.
“Moveable structures are extremely unique,” the company noted. “We have worked on over 150 bridge structures so most of the operations on this project are ones that we have seen before on a smaller scale. We also had the benefit of having done one small moveable structure before, which gave us some appreciation for how critical it is to coordinate the structural, mechanical and electrical aspects of a moveable bridge.”
Design of the New Bridge
Dating from 1917 and built so that local residents had an alternative way to cross the river if they did not want to take the ferry, the existing Stutson Street bridge connects the Rochester neighborhoods of Charlotte and Irondequoit. Approximately 80 percent of the original structure still remains within the bridge that is being replaced.
Crane-Hogan’s Vice President and Project Manager Craig W. Stevens is overseeing the job, which is one of the most unusual undertaken in the area for some time. There are very few bascule structures in upstate New York and in fact the new span, a two-leaf Shearzer rolling lift bridge, will be Monroe County’s only tilting bridge.
At approximately twice the height of the current 23-ft. high bridge (7.01 m) the new 45 ft. high (13.7 m) one is being built about 250 ft. (76.2 m) south of the existing structure and will have four traffic lanes, a bicycle lane and sidewalks along each side.
The bridge will be 918 ft. (279.8 m) long with a deck area of 68,120 sq. ft. (6,329 sq m). Its appearance is of particular architectural interest as a landmark bridge in that the design imparts a 1900s look so that it will harmonize with the surrounding historic Charlotte neighborhood.
There are additional benefits to be gained from a closed deck apart from a quieter ride, noted Monroe County DOT’s Mansouri.
“Others include skid resistant ride-ability — steel grids are very slippery — as well as protecting support beams below from salt and the elements. This means less maintenance and a longer lasting structure,” he said. “Plus it’s less frightening for pets, the elderly and the little ones to walk across and there’s less chance of drips and objects falling into the river or onto the boaters below.” On the other hand, he added, “the main disadvantage is the added weight and hence more cost for the bridge foundation, balancing and machinery.”
Construction to Date
It has been estimated that the project will take 2,360 tons (2,124 t) of structural steel, 1,018 tons (916 t) of reinforcing steel and 25,777 cu. yds. (19,708 cu m) of concrete. According to the Monroe County DOT, earthwork for the project will eventually involve removal of 190,000 cu. yds. (145,267 cu m) of earth and 44,000 cu. yds. (33,640 cu m) of stone.
Stage I began with a groundbreaking ceremony held on Sept. 27, 2000. Work in the river began in mid-November 2000, a time approved by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Department of State and the Coastal Management Agency to avoid disruption of the spawning cycles of fish in the river.
Crane-Hogan has about 20 subcontractors. “Most of them play very small roles with contracts ranging from $10,000 to $500,000,” said the company. “However, we have major manufacturers and subcontractors that are the heart and soul of making a project this complex a success. The subs that will handle the massive structural steel, the machinery and electrical systems that make the bascule leaves operate properly are all vital participants. Our earthwork and roadway sub who is in essence recreating, realigning and rebuilding all of the surrounding roadways is a major player, as are our cofferdam constructors, pile drivers, marine specialist and several others.”
Extensive work carried out so far on the project includes excavation and dredging work. However, whereas generally river dredgings would be dumped in Lake Ontario (into which the Genesee empties) the thousands of cubic yards of riverbed material from this site had levels of contamination that made it necessary for special arrangements to be made for disposal, noted Crane-Hogan.
River soil and sediments were therefore transported by Buffalo Industrial Diving Company of Buffalo, NY, in a specially prepared lake-going 175- by 40-ft. (53 by 12 m) transportation barge pulled by a 900-hp (671 kW) tugboat to a Lackawanna, NY, confined disposal facility on Lake Erie.
H. F. Darling, based in Williamsville, NY, has constructed cofferdams, carried out pile driving and installed 114 steel H-piles 90 ft. (27.4 m) long and weighing approximately 10,000 lbs. (4,536 kg) for piers and abutments. Equipment used by the company included a 100- by 40-ft. (30 by 12 m) conventional barge in conjunction with a Flexifloat modular barge system and a 600-hp (447 kW) tug boat. They also utilized 100- and 60-ton (90 and a 45 t) American crane, as well as a 60-ton (54 t) Northwest crane, all fitted with 100-ft. (30 m) booms. The company also has two I.C.E. vibratory hammers, a Gomaco 115 air hammer, a Komatsu PC 300 LC excavator and an Ingersoll-Rand 1400 CFM air compressor.
Installation of new water lines and sanitary sewers and the relocation of gas, electricity and telephone lines has been carried out by Concrete Applied Technologies Inc. of Alden, NY, with its variety of Caterpillar equipment including 307, 330L and 312L excavators; D6R LGP and D5 bulldozers; and 936 and 950 loaders as well as a Vermeer CC 135 road saw. Concrete Applied Technologies also are handling heavy earthwork and roadway construction for Crane-Hogan and recently completed the east embankment.
Fifteen buildings, including a parsonage, a gas station, an auto dealership and a sewage pumping station, are now demolished as is the railroad bridge that previously carried the B&O railroad across the Lake Ontario State Parkway near the approach to the bridge. Sessler Wrecking, headquartered in Waterloo, NY, carried out this part of the job, using grapple-equipped Komatsu PC 300 LC and Kobelco K912XL excavators. The company also will eventually demolish the existing bridge.
In addition, contamination clean-up has been completed at the former gas station site. It has had retaining walls constructed and is now open to the public as a municipal parking lot.
Current Construction
At present Crane-Hogan is constructing abutments, land-based piers and privacy walls. The company recently placed 3,000 cu. yds. (2,294 cu m) of Tremie Seal underwater concrete in the cofferdam on the east side of the river. Its equipment fleet on this site includes Komatsu PC 300 LC and Case 9040 excavators, JCB 1400B Extendahoe and Case 580XL backhoes and a Case 621B front-end loader for the earthwork operations. In addition, the company has a Sullair 900 CFM air compressor, a Rosco RB-38 road broom and two Bobcat 753 skid steer loaders on site.
Meanwhile, Benchley Crane, based in Forestville, NY, and Webster Cranes of Webster, NY, are handling the hoisting of all materials needed by Crane-Hogan crews for concrete forming and stripping. Benchley is using a Link-Belt LS 518 150-ton (135 t) and a Link-Belt LS 418 100-ton (90 t), both equipped with 130-ft. (40 m) booms, while Webster Cranes is currently operating with a Link-Belt RTC-8060.
T & G Concrete Pumping of East Syracuse, NY, is using three truck-mounted Schwing concrete pumps on site. These include a BPL 1200 HDR-23KVN 42M/38M and a 32M/28XL in addition to a BPL 1200 KVN 42M/36M.
Work on the new entrance ramp to the Lake Ontario State Parkway and reconstruction of the Parkway itself in both directions is under way and well ahead of schedule.
Another subcontractor currently working on the job includes N.E. Caissons, of Akron, NY. Crews are drilling and installing caissons and placing concrete to support noise walls, pedestrian trails, privacy walls and the fender system in the river, employing Watson 3100 and 3400 Caisson drill rigs.
Electrical work is being handled by O’Connell Electric of Victor, NY. Using a GMC 7000 40-ft. (12 m) bucket truck and a Ford 8000 20-ft. (6 m) box truck in conjunction with a three reel cable trailer. The company is installing extensive highway lighting and traffic signalization. The biggest part of the job, however, will be installing the electrical control system that powers the lift bridge, which will involve laying submarine cables, the company said.
Despite the magnitude of the project, the number of problems cropping up has been minimal and were handled quickly and simply by team evaluation followed by development and assessment of alternatives.
Bridge to be Renamed
The present Stutson Street bridge was named after a pair of local brothers who ran a nearby tavern. However, when the new bridge is dedicated, it will be renamed the Colonel Patrick O’Rorke Memorial Bridge in honor of an Irish-born local resident and Civil War hero. During the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, the 27-year- old colonel, commanding the 140th Volunteer Infantry regiment from Monroe County, led his men in a charge down Little Round Top. Forging ahead of his detachment, O’Rorke was shot and died almost immediately. He is commemorated by a monument bearing a bronze likeness of his face that was erected by regimental survivors in 1889 at the spot where he was mortally wounded.
A Long Haul
Phases II and III of the project between now and next fall will include remaining demolition work and construction of a new approach highway on the eastern side of the river. A new westbound off-ramp and reconstructed east- and west-bound on-ramps to the Lake Ontario State Parkway will be built, the new bridge erected over the Genesee River and another over the Parkway.
Phase III, which brings the O’Rorke Bridge project to its conclusion in fall 2003, includes completion of the Parkway bridge, demolition of the existing Stutson Street bridge, landscaping and the construction of new pedestrian trails on both sides of the river.
It has been a very long haul for some of the personnel working on this project. “As far back as the mid 1950s there was talk of a replacement for this bridge and it continued well into the 80s,” Mansouri recalled. “I joined the county in 1989 and sat on a design advisory committee back then. I’ve been working on the planning and design of this bridge ever since. Now we finally get to build it.” CEG
This story also appears on Crane Equipment Guide.
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