Lehigh River Span Marks Route 33 Extension in PA

Tue November 06, 2001
Chris Volker

Completion of the Route 33 Extension in Lehigh Valley, PA, will provide a vital link between Interstate 78 and Route 22. It also will provide much needed local access to an east-west alternative for area motorists and connect I-78 with I-80 to the north.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) mentioned that work on all three sections of this important project is progressing smoothly.

A major portion of the job is the construction of the Lehigh River Bridge, the third section of the project. The Dick Corporation, located in Pittsburgh, PA, is the prime contractor for the bridge project with much of the steel work being handled by American Bridge Company. Structural Services Inc., of Coopersburg, PA, a woman-owned construction firm, is handling the decking, bearings, pans and studding, and the erection of two large sign structures at the south and north ends of the bridge.

The main feature of the bridge consists of a six-span steel-truss structure over the river, Lehigh Canal and Towpath, and Conrail line with a length of 1,870 ft. (569 m) and a height of 180 ft. (55 m).

Some interesting facts of the construction of the bridge include:

• Bridge abutment piles — 264

• Bridge pier caissons — 112

• Bridge reinforcement steel — 4 million lbs. (1.8 million kgs)

• Bridge structural steel — 9.5 million lbs. (4.3 million kgs)

• Longest continuous bridge span — 594 ft. (181 m).

The Dick Corporation reported that all piers and abutments have been completed and the steel trusses have been placed for the Route 33 extension bridge. Through the summer, placement of the steel trusses was completed as well as placement of bridge deck pans and construction of a boat launch.

According to Lacey Benzing, president of subcontractor Structural Services Inc., “This is a huge project.” The company is handling most of the panning and studding for the bridge. More than 700 tons (630 t) of rebar have been placed thus far.

“This is going to be one of the busiest interchanges on the East Coast,” said Benzing. “It’s a major truck route and a very busy artery in the state of Pennsylvania. The extension will give truck drivers a viable option to travel to New York easier and quicker. Therefore, the 1,800-ft. Lehigh Bridge is a major project with a huge impact on the surrounding community. We are working with a very aggressive schedule and we and Dick Corporation plan to finish the job by year end.”

“Probably the largest portion of our work on the project involves the studs,” said Mike Garger, project manager, Structural Services Inc. “But a close second are the sign structures which measure 135 ft. and 175 ft. and weigh in at 37,000 and 82,000 lbs. respectively.”

Equipment used on the job includes a Manitowoc 4000 crane (placed on a barge to set the steel by American Bridge Co.), a Manitowoc 4100 crane with ringer and 330-ft. (100.5 m) boom, a Manitowoc 888, a Manitowoc 999, a Demag 110-ton (99 t) hydraulic, a Demag 200-ton (180 t) AC 180, a Cat 330 track loader, a Nelson stud welder (with two guns) and a Liebherr 1090 hydraulic. The equipment was leased from Dickinson of Pennsylvania; Amquip of Pennsylvania; and Marino Crane of Connecticut.

An interesting aspect of the job is the use of a Rotec conveyor system to pour the concrete. Two are currently being used with one measuring 600 ft. (182.8 m) long and the other 400 ft. (121 m). The system is assembled on site with an aluminum rail section and two 20-hp (14.9 kW) motors, one on each end. The link conveyor transfers the concrete onto the trowel belt. “This system is unique,” said Doug Kline of Rotec USA, located in Elmhurst, IL, “since it spans a 500-ft. distance to do the pour. It’s a checkerboard pouring system which keeps everything balanced in order to dump the concrete into the finishing machine.”

Also, a portable dam is being utilized, designed by Portadam of Williamstown, NJ, that keeps the river out of the activation. Garger said it is built out of A-frame steel with a tarp draped around it. By using the force of gravity, it creates a dam effect and pumps out the unneeded water. Portadam’s modular, freestanding system makes it ideal for bridge pier rehabilitation or construction. It can be placed under existing spans and may be used on an uneven, rocky river bottom. Unlike water filled bladder dams, this equipment also can be installed in flowing water and on soft bottom materials. “That’s what makes it ideal for this project,” said Garger.

The other sections of the project are the I-78/Route 33 Interchange portion and the Northern Corridor. The Interchange portion of the project involves the widening of the I-78 bridge over Redington Road, construction of a westbound I-78 bridge over the new ramps and paving of the westbound on- and off-ramps. This work, as well as lighting and landscaping, has been completed.

Prime contractor Lane Corporation of Meriden, CT, is the project manager for Section Two — The Northern Connector. This portion involves bridge and ramp construction. Completed to date is the excavation and the subbase paving of the main line roadway and interchange ramps, bridges over Hopeville Road and William Penn Highway, the installation of 1.3 mi. (2 km) of drainage pipe, and construction of sound walls along the ramp from Route 22 east. Construction currently under way is the paving of base course and riding surface of main line roadway and interchange ramps, restoration of Route 33/Route 22 interchange, erection of new sign structures along Route 22 and southbound Route 33 and the erection of sound walls near the William Penn Avenue interchange.