Cianbro Begins Restoration of the Picturesque Mystic River Bridge n
By Kim Sieber
Cianbro Corporation contracted with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) in the summer of 2010 on the rehabilitation of the Mystic River Bridge in Mystic, Connecticut. The project includes rehabilitating the structural steel, electrical, machinery, and control house systems, and realignment. The bridge was designed by Thomas Ellis Brown of New York (formerly Chief Engineer of Otis Elevator Company), was built in 1920 by the J.E. FitzGerald Construction Company of New London, and is of the Strauss Heel-trunnion type. It has a movable span width of 85 feet and a total length of 218 feet. It has two concrete-filled counterweights. It is operated by ConnDOT and connects the towns of Stonington and Groton, allowing vehicle and foot traffic on Main Street in the center of Mystic’s tourist district.
THE CONTRACT WORK INCLUDES: • Blasting, cleaning, repairing and paint- ing the structural steel • Jacking the counterweights to realign the counterweight truss • Replacing the counterweight trunnion bearings • Replacing the electrical systems including the main drive motors brak- ing systems, controls, lighting, traffic signals, gates, and installing a stand- by generator • Replacing the drive machinery and realigning the main pinion and bull wheel bearings
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• Replacing the control house and the adjoining shed and motor houses • Removing and replacing 320 feet of submarine cable • Upgrading the fender system and installing scour monitor devices • Replacing the bridge railing on the east span and extending to the ap- proaches on the north and south sides of the road • Repairing the stone wall and east abutment The bridge is located within a historic downtown vacation destination on the north shore of Long Island Sound. The rehabilitation of the bridge is being completed alongside a major streetscape expansion project. The bridge rehabilitation is phased over the course of three winters in an effort to minimize disruptions to tourist seasons. The project completed Phase One in time for the April 15th deadline. Cianbro contracted with Gemstone Painting, LLC, of Key West, Florida to blast and paint the structure. Gemstone mobilized in January of 2011 and began containment soon after. The bridge was originally painted in 1922, and then coated (no blast clean) in the mid-1980s. The project requires an SSPC10 blast, and then application of a 3-coat system. The team was challenged with containing the truss while maintaining vehicular and pedestrian traffic in a busy downtown tourist town and having to paint this bridge during one of the worst winters in southern New England history. Cianbro provided support to Gemstone by managing traffic,
C I A N B R O S P R I N G / S U M M E R C H AT T E R
assisting with access, and helping with safety, as well as beginning steel repairs. Cianbro team members, led by General Foreman Tod Parisek, include Jared Shelton, Ray Elmer, Chris Correia, Trish White, Eric Fudge, Kyle Chapman, Wayne Denny, and Chris Furrow. Structural Engineer Kevin Donovan, Millwright General Foreman Charlie Nutter, and Project Engineer Andrew Peer are working diligently on getting the structural steel repairs detailed and scheduled, as well as getting the subcontractor organized to do the operating machinery work. Project Engineer Chris Bailey was in charge of night supervision, overseeing the second shift for scaffold erection and painting. Surveyor John Quinn does an outstanding job at keeping the team headed in the right direction while he attends to many other projects in the region. QAQC Zach Gardiner did an outstanding job making sure that Gemstone conformed to contract requirements and keeping ConnDOT QAQC informed. SNE QAQC Manager Brig Reid assisted in getting the project started and continued to help keep the project in conformance. Cianbro Safety Lorie Lane and Kris Ballard provided great safety guidance. The team appreciated the commitment Lorie and Kris have shown to the job and to the SNE Region. Project Superintendent Matt Hebert, Project Manager Scott Tierney, and Project Coordinator Kim Sieber would like to thank everyone who has participated in the Mystic project. The team looks forward to partnering this project with ConnDOT successfully. Phase Two will begin in the fall.
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