RANCOCAS CREEK BRIDGE
RANCOCAS CREEK BRIDGE
RANCOCAS CREEK BRIDGE
RANCOCAS CREEK BRIDGE

RANCOCAS CREEK BRIDGE

Burlington County, NJ

Project Highlights / Scope of Work

  • Removed and reconstructed 1,100’ long, 8-lane bridge deck and expansion joints
  • Constructed temporary walkways under bridge providing access for girder and bearing replacement
  • Removed over 200 deteriorated members of steel diaphragm and replaced with concrete encased steel beams
  • Lifted steel understructure using jacks to enable removal and replacement of steel rocker bearings with earthquake resistant elastomeric bearings
  • Performed asphalt milling and paving of approaches
  • Removed and replaced median barrier
  • Painted understructure
  • Performed work in stages to maintain continuous flow of traffic

     

    Challenges

  • Highway / bridge to remain open to traffic during construction
  • Limited and difficult access to work areas underneath bridge

 

Project Description
The Rancocas Creek Bridge, built in 1968, is located on the southernmost stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike between Exits 4 and 5.  This project would repair and replace the decking and structural steel diaphragms which had begun to deteriorate on the 1,100’ long, eight-lane bridge.

The Turnpike was to remain open during construction requiring that the work be performed in stages, closing only two to three lanes of the highway at a time.  Traffic patterns were shifted to maintain flow and all appropriate traffic control measures were put in place.

The existing decking was removed and reconstructed using high performance, latex modified concrete.  Expansion joints were removed and replaced.  The approaches to the bridge were milled, treated with high pressure grouting and repaved.  Roadway striping and new medians were installed.

The underside of the structure required major reconstruction and with that came all the accessibility problems characteristic of working beneath a bridge.  Working from barges, we constructed temporary walkways spanning the piers and creating an adequate base from which to complete the repairs.  Sections of the deteriorated steel diaphragm were replaced with new concrete-encased steel.  All the existing mechanical-type rocker bearings were replaced with new earthquake resistant elastomeric bearings.  The replacement process involved using jacks to temporarily raise the steel framework so the old bearings could be removed and the new ones installed.