Garden State Parkway Interchange 159 Improvements
Elmwood Park, NJ
Project Highlight / Scope of Work: - Constructed new direct connection off-ramp from southbound Garden State Parkway to eastbound Rt. 80
- Constructed 840’ long by 24’ wide horseshoe-shaped span, super-elevated at 6% on seven tapered solid wall piers
- Built cast-in-place concrete deck slab with 7’3” overhangs on continuous steel monocell trapezoidal box girders (tubs)
- Bridge contains 976,500 LBS of structural steel, 10,000 SF of steel sheeting and cofferdams, 10,000 LF of steel H-piles, 235,000 LBS of galvanized reinforcing bars and 325,000 LBS of stainless steel reinforcing bars
- Formed and poured 2,400 CY of concrete in substructure, deck and parapets
- Performed 20,000 CY of excavation and embankment work
- Reconstructed existing entrance / exit ramps with 5,700 LF of concrete curbs and barriers and 5,000 tons of bituminous concrete pavement
- Installed signage including two cantilevered and one overhead sign structures with foundations and 16 guide signs with supports
- Performed miscellaneous sitework including 2,100 LF of storm drainage piping, highway lighting, 3,500 LF of guiderail, pavement markings and landscaping
- First project in New Jersey to use corrosion monitoring system with stainless steel reinforcing bars
- Project completed six months ahead of schedule
- Received New Jersey Quality Initiative Award
Challenges: Project Description:
The Garden State Parkway, stretching the length of New Jersey, ranks as the busiest toll highway in the country. Route 80 is a major US highway which crosses the country from New York to San Francisco. This award winning project created a long missing direct connection between the two high volume roadways.
Major excavation and embankment work was required to prep the area. Existing entrance and exit ramps were reconstructed with new concrete pavement, curbs and barriers. The primary component of the job was a new 840’ long by 24’ wide horseshoe-shaped connecting ramp. The eight-span ramp was built using continuous steel trapezoidal box girders (tubs) and cast-in-place deck slabs. Box girder web plates were placed 12’ 6” apart resulting in 7’ wide deck overhangs. This was not simple span construction. Special temporary support platforms were built at each of seven field splices and two 150-ton cranes were used in the erection of the curved tub members. Signage, site lighting, storm drains and landscaping were also included in the contract.
Several challenges arose on the project, notably, the delivery of the massive curved steel tub sections. The extra wide loads required a special permit in every state the steel members passed through, from the manufacturer’s Florida location to the New Jersey job site. With travel times also restricted, transit took three days per piece. This made precise planning a critical element of the job.
The project featured several highlights as well. Despite the difficulties in the shipping of materials, the job was completed six months ahead of schedule which greatly reduced the inconvenience to the public. In addition, the project received the New Jersey Quality Initiative Award. Finally, these improvements provided a “missing link”, fixing a long standing problem in the New Jersey highway system.