George Washington Bridge, Replacement of PIP Helix and Rehabilitation of the Upper Level Spans

This is one of 11 contracts that comprise the PANYNJ’s “Restoring the George” program that will rehabilitate and ensure the continued safety and reliability of the George Washington Bridge. The project focused on the New Jersey side of the two-level bridge and called for design and construction of three bridges to replace the helix ramp carrying southbound traffic from the Palisades Interstate Parkway (PIP) to the bridge. The $62 million project included replacement of the deck, superstructure and substructures and on-grade approaches of the Helix, as well as construction of a temporary detour structure to maintain traffic. The helix is made up of three spans that cross over Interstate 95, Hudson Terrace, and the eastbound approach to the lower level of the GWB. The new bridges followed the same alignment as the existing structures and required the use of temporary bridges to maintain traffic from PIP to the GWB during construction. To minimize disruption during construction, the placement of steel girders was performed during off-peak hours.

Judlau devised innovative solutions to logistical challenges inherent in working in a densely populated, urban location. Minimal work areas left little room for the construction of the foundations and towers that were necessary to support the temporary bridges needed to maintain traffic at existing levels of service during construction. The crews worked around existing fiber-optic and intelligent transportation system cables that could not be moved or interfered with due to the security concerns around the busy bridge. Judlau completed the design and construction of the entire temporary ramp with three temporary bridges in eight months. The subcontractor crews assembled more than six temporary bridge spans on the ground and transported them on rolling dollies from the staging area and erected them over I-95 roadways using large cranes.

The project was awarded the 2018 New Jersey Leading Infrastructure Project Award from the New Jersey Alliance for Action.