Calhoun Street Bridge Rehab Planned

From the Trenton Times.

Now it's the DRJTBA who is doing it wrong. Stop with all the wasted money on feasibility studies and overall plans. Just do it. You people gotta understand!

Bridge to past also has a future
No need to replace 124-year-old span
Tuesday, September 30, 2008, CURT YESKE


LAMBERTVILLE -- There will be no wrecking ball for the Calhoun Street Bridge between Trenton and Morrisville, Pa., at least in the foreseeable future. Instead, renovations are planned for the 124-year-old span.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, meeting in temporary quarters while its administration building in New Hope, Pa. is undergoing an expansion, yesterday disclosed the result of a study of the span while announcing it also plans a major renovation of the Washington Crossing Bridge.

A structural analysis of the Calhoun Street Bridge completed during the past year pointed toward a renovation program rather than re placing the bridge, said George G. Alexandridis, the chief engineer for the bi-state agency.

Alexandridis said the renovation would likely start in late 2009 after the design phase has been completed for the project.

"It's the oldest of our (13 toll- free) bridges, and we had the assessment done to see whether it had to be rehabilitated. It's a wonderful structure, being made of wrought iron, but it does carry a heavy load," said Alexandridis.

A year ago when the contract for a structural analysis of the bridge was awarded, Frank G. McCartney, the agency's executive director, did not predict a recommendation for a replacement structure, but said it was a possibility.

McCartney said it would be a "standard rehabilitation" much like those the commission has been carrying out on many of its bridges within its responsibility between Trenton and the border of New York state. The Calhoun Street Bridge records more than 18,000 crossings a day even though it is weight-restricted to cars and small trucks.

Alexandridis said a standard renovation project would include structural repairs, work on the sidewalks, a review of the coatings on the metal superstructure and repairs to the supporting piers.

When the study was initiated, McCartney said the analysis was critical because the bridge was made of wrought iron. Although it is a sturdy material, the bridge was erected without manufacturing standards. He said steel has manufacturing standards and is rated, but wrought iron is not.

The study was done by Lichten stein Consulting Engineers of Paramus for $342,712.

The commission yesterday awarded a contract for an $895,120 study to develop repair details and renovation concepts for the Washington Crossing Bridge. The study will address short- and long-term improvement strategies for the narrow two-lane toll-free span.

The Washington Crossing Bridge between Upper Makefield, Pa., and Hopewell Township, averages 6,900 crossings a day.

The project includes a major in- depth inspection and load-rating analysis of its underwater features and portions of the approaches to the bridge. The contract was awarded to Dewberry-Goodking Inc. of Carlisle, Pa.

The 877-foot-long bridge last underwent an extensive structural renovations in the fall of 1994. At that time, some trusses were replaced by new fabricated galvanized steel and the steel grid deck, originally installed in 1951, was replaced at each end of the span.

A new wood sidewalk was installed and the structure was sand- blasted and painted.

The bridge about five years ago was restricted to 15 miles per hour with a three-ton weight limit.