Extending the lifespan
Modernizing the Georg Washington Bridge is a 15-year project
By: Kyle Morel
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
FORT LEE - With the George Washington Bridge approaching its 100th birthday, crew are working hard on a 15-year endeavor to modernize the structure as it remains an important link between New York and New Jersey.
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The restoring the George program, a 42 billion effort comprised of 11 projects started 2015 and is expected to run until 2030. Four of the projects have already been completed and six more are active today, said Ken Tripaldi, senior engineer of construction for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
..... Among the current projects are the replacement of 592 steel suspender ropes supporting the roadway and the rehabilitation of four main cables spanning the length of the bridge. This marks the first time structure was built in 1931.
..... "These are once-in-a-lifetime projects, for sure," Tripaliid told NorthJersey.com during a tour of the bridge in early December. [2024] "It's definite unique, something that nobody else in our lifetime is going to see (again), because the work we're doing now will last another 100-plu years."
..... Crews have just 12 suspend ropes left to replace,and Tripaldi expects the project will be finished by February, [2025]
weather permitting.
..... The main cable project involves recoating and rewrapping the compacted wires inside each cable. Workers are also adding a dehumidification system that will reduce the humidity level inside the caves so they last longer, Tripaldi explained.
..... Each main cable is 3 feet in diameter and made up of 26,474 individual wires. If unraveled, the wires would stretch 100,000 miles, enough to warp around the world four times.
George Washington Bridge history
..... The George Washington Bridge was the world's longest suspension bridge when it opened in 1931 with six lanes. Two more were added in 1946, followed by the constructions of a six-lane lower level in 1962, making it the only 14-lane suspension bridge on Earth.
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"It was definitely an engineering marvel," Tripaldi said, "and to be able to withstand and last all this time is a major accomplishment."
..... Records show that approximately 400,00 vehicles cross the bridge every day, according to Tripaldi. thus, each phase of the restoration program extensively coordinate to minimize traffic disruptions.
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Typically, there are 100 to 200 workers at the bridge five to six days per week, Tripaldi said. That includes crews operating at night, when Port authority officials often close multiple lanes to allow for more work to be done.
..... "The fact that we're able to do all this work, these six major once-in-a-lifetime projects, while the busiest bridge in the world is still active, I think in itself is a major engineering feat," Tripaldi said.
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On the New York side of the bridge, another ongoing project along 178th and 179th streets consist of renovating walkways and access ramps for pedestrian and cyclists in the area. The northbound lane was finished in 2023, while the southbound side remains under construction.
..... The width of the new sidewalks is nearly doubled to about 14 feet, Tripaldi said, and access ramps have been updated to comply with the American with Disabilities Act. When completed, the paths: two on the New York side and one in New Jersey.
..... The only project that has not started yet involves the rehabilitation of the Trans-Manhattan Expressway overpasses. Tripaldi expects that work to begin next year [2025] and be completed some time in 2030.
..... Given place throughout North Jersey, residents may be tempted to view the rest orating the George program as just another endless project. but with the program more than halfway to its completion target date, officials are excited for locals to experience the finished product and continue enjoying the bridge for years to come.
..... "The Port Authority spent years preparing for this," Tripaldi said. "We are constantly looking at the ongoing work and what's coming up to coordinate those projects to ensure that they progress on schedule with minimal impact to the traveling public."