CrewsAnticipate Phase 3 of Work to Be More Complicated

The road carries a lot of traffic, with some sections having eight lanes and others 10.

pile drivers were utilized.

the spaces underneath the curing concrete.

Theviaductworkwasdoneinfourstages. The JV removed the concrete, jacked the superstructure steel beams up from the bearings and concrete pedestals, put in new pedestals, which are more modern, put the steel back on the bearings, formed up to the new concrete deck, put in the rebar and then placed the concrete. Through repetition, crews honed their methodology.

Fortheviaductwork,theJVusedCat322 excavators with articulating slab grabbers, Block track-mounted hoe rams with pneumatic impact hammers and 40-ton cranes. Concrete paving machines also were used.

A fair amount of falsework was installed such as stay-in-place form to span from flange-to-flange of the stringers, and wood formswithoverhangbracketsontheedgeof the viaduct and as side forms.

The JV had to build two new exit ramps (100 ft. wide) before it could demolish the old ones. This construction required lane closures.

For the 1.75 mi. Bruckner Boulevard, work is progressing. This work began with excavations for the new foundations for the new ramps and once they came out, the ramps were installed, followed by all the non-grade boulevard improvements.

Crews are removing and replacing 3 or 4 in. of asphalt. They did not dig up the whole road. The operations on the south side were easier. The north side was tougher due to active businesses and residences. The JV worked in concert with the businesses. By dividing this side into smaller sections, the work could be carried out quickly. The JV understood that taking away a mile of the streetwouldcauseseriousparkingproblems.

Work on the viaduct and boulevard was done simultaneously. When crews were installingthefoundationsforthenewramps, theyhadtotakeawideportionofthebottom to bring their equipment in.

The JV’s engineering team and the public outreach team interacted with the public to keep everyone informed for the boulevard work. The plan of attack was based on upgrading each intersection ahead of the paving work, putting in new traffic signals and lighting, and then placing the new curb and sidewalk. This work is being done over two seasons, covering March to late November.

Equipment-wise,crewsusedalotofarticulating boom manlifts for the foundation work, which was done by Skanska Underpinning. For the mini-piles and Hpiles as foundation elements, track-mounted

The JV’s management team is working well, with a focus on successfully completing the job. The crews are putting in a solid effort.

Night work has been minimal. On the viaduct,thisoccurredfortrafficswitchesand stage changes. For the boulevard, digging and the excavation of trenches was done at night.

Peak days for Phase Two have approximately 100 construction personnel on site and many subcontractors assisting in the work.

Phase 3 should have between 75 and 100 personnel, with the subcontractors being local and regional. The management team will have many new individuals for this phase.

The amounts of materials from demolition and excavation operations and new materials being brought in for Phase 2 have not been tabulated yet.

Materialsfromexcavationanddemolition operationsaretakenoffsitetorecyclingcenters for processing.

El Sol has been working on construction in the NYC area for 40 years and DeFoe for 75 years and both companies maintain good relationswiththeirdealerships,whoappreciate the business.

For Phase 3, work is ramping up. The JV started Stage 1 work zone traffic control, basicallyputtingupconcretebarrierandcutting where crews are going to be demolishing the deck. Major demolition will begin soon. The plan is to sawcut the deck into manageable slab sizes and in this case, use track-mounted excavators with slab grabbers. Cat 320 and 330 excavators will be employed.

WorkonthenewBryantAvenuepedestrian bridge will be done in the summers of 2023 and 2024. The bridge will consist of steel beams and a cast-in-place concrete deck.

Adding a third lane in each direction for the Bruckner Expressway won’t be easy as the JV will be relocating the Sheridan Expressway ramps to the outbound sides of the corridor and locating the six lanes in the middle of them. In its present configuration, there is no room to add lanes.

The reconstruction of the intersection of Hunts Point Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard will start at a later date.

Phase 3 work also will be more complicated due to consideration for neighboring projects. The JV is cognizant of other ongoing and planned projects, particularly at HuntsPointAvenuewherethereisasubway, which will experience renovations around the entrances. The interchange work will happen in the middle of that project.