Project Info:
Location: Various Locations in New York
Role: Lead Designer
Owner: New York State Department of Transportation
Client: Tioga Construction Co., Inc.
Construction Cost: $5,950,000
Services:
- Design-Build Delivery
- Waterway Bridge Crossing
- Bridge Replacement
- Bridge Rehabilitation
- Superstructure Design
- Steel Beam Bridge Design
- Hydraulic Analysis/Design
- Highway/Roadway Design
- Utility Coordination
- Final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E)
- Construction Phasing Plan Development
- Maintenance-of-Traffic (MOT) Plan Development
- Construction Support Services
- Public and Media Outreach Material Development
Lochner was the lead designer for the first design-build project awarded by Regions 2 and 9 of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). The project encompassed the full replacement of the 130-foot, two-span concrete box beam bridge carrying Route 291 over Nine Mile Creek (Marcy, Oneida County) and the replacement of the superstructure on the following single-span bridges:
- West Main Street over Steele Creek (Ilion, Herkimer County): a 59-foot-long steel beam structure with a filled steel grating deck
- Route 10 over Brimstone Creek (Sharon, Schoharie County): a 37-foot-long prestressed voided concrete slab structure with a 45-degree skew
- Route 10 over Brimstone Creek (Sharon, Schoharie County): a 60-foot-long prestressed voided concrete slab structure with a 60-degree skew
- Chenango Road over Sauquoit Creek (Utica, Oneida County): a 100-foot-long five–steel beam structure with a concrete deck
Lochner’s design plans for the Route 291 bridge replaced the existing structure with a single-span steel girder bridge with a composite concrete deck and integral abutments. The preliminary plans included in the design-build Request for Proposal (RFP) called for a 133-foot span, but Lochner developed a viable design with a 108-foot span, which resulted in substantial cost savings for NYSDOT and the contractor. As the design created a narrower opening over the waterway, Lochner performed a complete new hydraulic analysis and obtained new permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
For the West Main Street bridge, Lochner designed a new precast voided concrete beam superstructure. The superstructure is supported by the existing channel walls, which are on a radius; the span therefore varies from 60 feet on one side to 54 feet on the other. Lochner’s plans raised the bridge height by 1.3 feet to increase the vertical clearance over Steele Creek and reconstruct the roadway on either side of the bridge to accommodate the revised profile. To increase the hydraulic opening, no deck was constructed above the voided slabs.
For the two Route 10 bridges, Lochner designed replacement voided concrete slab superstructures. As one of the existing bridges had a 60-degree skew and current NYSDOT standards do not permit the design of bridges with a greater than 50-degree skew, Lochner’s design provided a saw-cut back wall detail to accommodate 45-degree skewed beams, supported by a 60-degree skewed abutment.
Lochner’s plans for the Chenango Road bridge incorporated a new 99-foot, four–steel beam superstructure with a composite deck. The bridge was widened by five feet to provide shoulders on the roadway, and the existing substructure was modified to accommodate the widening. Lochner also redesigned the approach pavement on either side to transition to the wider bridge width.
The design for the Chenango and West Main Street bridges included extensive utility relocation, particularly at the West Main Street location, where in addition to the relocation of electricity, cable, telecommunication, gas, and water lines, more than 3,000 connections in the fiber-optic network need to be remade to accommodate the bridge construction. At both of these bridge sites, Lochner’s plans included the redesign and relocation of water mains to run along the exterior of the bridge. Lochner worked with the contractor and utility companies to coordinate all utility relocations.
Lochner developed detailed traffic control plans for each construction zone. For the Route 10 bridges and the West Main Street bridge, Lochner developed staged construction plans, with one-way alternating traffic controlled by a signal. On West Main Street, the temporary signal tied into the existing traffic signal at the downstream intersection. The Route 291 and Chenango Road bridges were both closed to traffic during construction, and Lochner prepared detour plans for both locations, which ensured—in accordance with NYSDOT requirements—that the bridges were not closed for more than 90 and 60 calendar days, respectively.
Lochner also assisted with the project’s public outreach effort, identifying local officials and agencies that could be impacted by the project and preparing informational materials for distribution to elected officials, emergency services coordinators, and school districts.