Bridge Set for Spring Opening
11/15/2007
The Blennerhassett Bridge should be open by late April or early May, finishing the last piece of the Corridor D project, said officials with the West Virginia Department of Transportation.
WVDOT officials, along with representatives from the Ohio Department of Transportation, met with media Wednesday at the bridge to give a status report on the project and announce when it was expected to be completed.
The 4,009-foot Blennerhassett Bridge, which spans the Ohio River and Blennerhassett Island, is the last major component of the Corridor D project left to be completed, said State Highway Engineer Marvin Murphy.
‘‘We are about 97 percent completed,’’ Murphy said.
The Corridor D project is a multilane highway extending from the Ohio State line at Parkersburg to I-79 at Clarksburg. It was designated as part of the Appalachian Development Highway System by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 and later designated as part of the National Highway System by the NHS Act.
‘‘We are about 40 years into getting the last piece of Corridor D in place,’’ Murphy said. ‘‘It is the largest project West Virginia has let in one total contract costing around $120 million.
‘‘It has been a very good project. It has been one that has had good cooperation among all sources. The struggle to get this bridge across the river was not easy.’’
At one time, it was believed the bridge would have been completed by the end of August 2007. Then the completion date was moved to the end of November.
‘‘We had a very aggressive schedule from the beginning,’’ Murphy said. ‘‘We had made some changes to the design on the deck, which has delayed us a little further along in the project.
‘‘Those were necessary changes we were more comfortable with making at this time during construction. Right now, we are at the point where our delays will force us into the upcoming spring, mainly because of the weather.’’
The majority of the work that still needs to be done includes putting
down the latex modified concrete overlay on the bridge deck, which
needs a certain amount of warmth.
‘‘Right now, that will require 50 degree days to do,’’ Murphy said. ‘‘We
are running short on those days.’’
Officials estimated crews would need at least seven weeks to finish
putting the overlay in.
‘‘The other thing we have to do is the stressing of the arch cables
themselves,’’ Murphy said.
The cables on the bridge are tightened to continuously support the load
required of them.
‘‘That has to be done in a certain sequence,’’ Murphy said. ‘‘That is
suppose to be done after the overlay is in place and has cured.’’
Officials estimate the tightening of the cables will take around six weeks
to complete.
Other work will have to be done in restoring Blennerhassett Island,
including top soil placement, tree replacement and the placing of bird
boxes, which is expected to take five weeks.
Also, officials estimated four more weeks of earthwork along some of the
approaches, two weeks for the road striping and eight weeks of electrical
work putting in lighting and more.
‘‘We want to make sure it is done right,’’ Murphy said. ‘‘We will take
that time to make sure it was done right.’’
Construction of the new bridge and its approaches has being handled by
Walsh Construction and a crew of around 220.
Officials from around the area have said the completion of Corridor D
will open up new areas of development. With access the road provide, the
road will help cut down on heavy trucks continually rolling through the
city streets of Belpre and Parkersburg.
Rusty Roten, district manager for WVDOT District 3, said the bridge was
coming along nicely and will be a major benefit to the area.
‘‘The bridge is looking really good,’’ he said. ‘‘I like to see something
real rather than just artists’ renderings.
‘‘It is nice to look out here and see something.’’
With the exception of a few minor odds and ends, the Ohio side
approaches are ready to open, said Steve Williams, construction engineer
for ODOT District 10.
The $22 million portion of the project handled by ODOT includes five
small roadway bridges and the approches to the main bridge outside
Belpre.
‘‘We are substancially complete,’’ Williams said. ‘‘Our end of the
project can be opened at any time.
Posted with permission from The Parkersburg News & Sentinel
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