Building Bridges Staten Island Strong

Challenge: People often use the term “crumbling infrastructure” to describe America’s aging roads and bridges. But in the case of the Bradley Avenue Bridge over the Staten Island Expressway, it’s more than just hyperbole. Worn down by six decades of heavy commuter and truck traffic, chunks of bridge deck fell into the Expressway below in 2018. More than a decade ago, one local news outlet observed, “Rods of exposed rebar reverberate like violin strings as vehicles roll over them.” (silive.com, 04/27/2011) But a wholesale rehabilitation was put on the back burner.   

Solution: With help from the federal infrastructure investment law, New York state is now moving forward with a $46 million dollar plan to breathe new life into the Bradley Avenue Bridge and three other nearby crossings. Together, the projects call for replacing bridge decks and approach slabs and repairing the existing steel beams, concrete piers, and abutments. They will also rehabilitate steel bridge railings with concrete barriers and provide improved signage and pavement markings. At the Bradley Ave and Woolley Avenue bridges, the projects will replace existing bridge sidewalks with ADA compliant sidewalks and ramps, install new pedestrian fencing, and replace steel bearings and utilities. Advanced technology such as “link slabs” and  “jointless abutment details” will prevent water penetration and minimize future deterioration, while the use of Polyester Polymer Concrete (PPC) on piers and abutments will stand up to harsh weather and extend the life of these structures. For Staten Island commuters who depend on these bridges to get to work – an easier, safer trip is ahead.