Photo courtesy of Tradepoint Atlantic
Crews used drone footage to report progress and enhance project documentation.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has substantially completed a construction project in Baltimore County to improve the MD 151 (Sparrows Point Boulevard) and MD 151 B (Wharf Road) Interchange (BA8605280).
This project included total replacement of three bridges at this interchange.
Photo courtesy of MDOT SHA
This $30.5 million project was reportedly substantially complete on Jan. 6, 2024. Semi-final inspection was completed on Jan. 12, 2024.
The prime contractor is The Six-M Company Inc. of Delta, Pa., with Michael S. Randow serving as project manager.
The project began in September 2020 and full expected completion is set for August 2024.
Shantee Felix, MDOT SHA media relations manager, reported that currently, Six-M is working on minor activities on the punch list.
"There were challenges throughout the duration of the project but with the partnering and cooperation of stakeholders and the prime contractor everything went smoothly," she said. "All three bridges are now fully opened to traffic."
Felix reported that this is an interchange reconstruction project that involves the replacement of three bridges at the MD 151 (Sparrows Point Boulevard) and MD 151B (Wharf Road) interchange in the Sparrows Point area of Baltimore County.
The project involves the following activities: replacement of three steel beam bridges within the MD 151 (Sparrows Point Blvd.) / MD 151B (Wharf Rd.) interchange at Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA); reconstruct retaining walls, approach roadways and embankment; perform roadway work including milling and resurfacing and full depth reconstruction; install approach guardrails, sidewalks, and MDOT concrete median barriers; install drainage structures, grass swales, signing and paving; and underground utility relocations.
MDOT SHA fully implemented the new electronic Construction Management System, which is designed to allow access and input from multiple project users. Crews used drone footage to report progress and enhance project documentation.
Felix said this project involved the use of cellular concrete, which is a mixture of cement, water and preformed foam.
"Unlike traditional grouts and fill materials, cellular concrete has a lighter unit weight and can be pumped through small diameter lines," she said. "There is also a cost savings due to logistics, since this product calls for fewer deliveries to the site and faster placement."
This interchange reconstruction project involves a vital economic corridor that provides access to major employers such as Amazon, FedEx and Under Armour, which are housed at the Tradepoint Atlantic (TPA) logistics center.
"MDOT SHA was doing this project while Tradepoint Atlantic [TPA] had its own facility development projects under way," Felix said. "TPA was working to replace/upgrade waterline in the interchange area, and that required ongoing coordination between MDOT SHA and TPA."
She added that maintenance of traffic was a challenge due to the multiple phases of work and the coordination with the tenants at the TPA facility to ensure smooth traffic flow and access.
"Maryland is open for business, and this represents the state's support of economic development at a vital transportation hub that includes the Tradepoint Atlantic logistics center," Felix said. "National tenants include Amazon, McCormick, Volkswagen, BMW, Home Depot. LaFarge has a cement plant at the southern end of the interchange."
The MD 151/Wharf Rd. interchange is south of I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) with access to other interstate highways, including I-95.
Felix said that Tradepoint Atlantic has a deep-water port with a 50-ft. main channel on the Patapsco River and a privately-owned short line railroad that links to CSX and Norfolk Southern. The rail lines date back to the 1950s and have multiple tracks within the interchange area.
"In the 1950s, the Bethlehem Steel Company built the MD 151 bridges at the Wharf Road Interchange," Felix said. "The bridges serviced the main entrance for Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point plant, which is now the main entrance to Tradepoint Atlantic."
While safe for travel, the bridges were reaching the end of their useful service life.
Photo courtesy of MDOT SHA
"Replacing the bridges improves the safety of motorists and supports the development of the TPA site and surrounding businesses," Felix said.
The three new bridges are approximately the same width and length as the existing bridges and are designed to support the increase in truck traffic entering and exiting Tradepoint Atlantic.
The project includes functional improvements such as bicycle-compatible shoulders on the bridges and a new sidewalk along MD 151 at the Wharf Road interchange.
Completion means that the long-term maintenance and the structural integrity and reliability of all three bridges will be improved.
Major subcontractors on the job include CJGEO for lightweight material that was used as back fill; Machado for concrete supply; Paul J. Rack for concrete barrier construction; Nasir and Associates for supplying HP Piles fabricated structural steel; Structural Steel Products is in charge of supplying fabricated structural steel metals; Reliable Contracting for paving; Manolis for painting and contracting; Lems Contracting for landscape work; Collinson and Stollar for signages and traffic signals; DRM Associates for deck pans; United Crane and Rigging for fabricated structural steel erection; Wagman for deck grooving and Clark Reinforcing for supplying and installing reinforcing for all concrete structures.
A total of 25 workers were assigned to the job on any given day, including subcontractors.
The project included 50,000 cu. yds. of earth moved, 4,500 cu. yds. of concrete, 30,000 cu. yds. of lightweight material, 16,000 linear ft. of 12x53 H Piling, 4,000 cubic yards of concrete removal, 475 tons of reinforcing steel, 725 tons of structural steel, 1,500 linear ft. of storm drain, 12,000 tons of asphalt, upgrading of existing street lighting and new signage. CEG
Brenda Ruggiero
Brenda Ruggiero has written for CEG for over 20 years. She lives near the town of Accident in far western Maryland. Her favorite assignments so far involved interviews with Survivor’s Boston Rob and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut. Both were involved in construction at one time.
Brenda holds a BA in Mass Communication with a writing focus from Frostburg State University and minors in Public Relations and Political Science. She works full time as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican. She enjoys feature writing the most, which gives her the opportunity to talk to people and share their stories.
Brenda and her middle school sweetheart, Reuben, have been married for over 34 years and have three grown children and four cats.
Read more from Brenda Ruggiero here.
Today's top stories
