Bridge rebuilding projects that could have taken months to complete were finished Monday night after only four days of work.

The shorter time frame was achieved using construction techniques new to Central New York to replace the decks of two bridges on Interstate 690 in Syracuse.

The contractor working for the New York State Department of Transportation, Slate Hill Constructors, used precast panels to replace the decks of the bridges that carry the highway over Peat Street and North Crouse Avenue.

Instead of pouring the concrete into place on site, using precast panels cut down construction time significantly. Gene Cilento, a public information officer for the NYSDOT, said the project could have taken more than 12 weeks without the use of precast panels.

The new method, while effective, is also more expensive. To replace the decks on these two bridges cost the state $3.4 million. Pouring the concrete in place would have cut that cost in half, The Post-Standard reported on Sept. 21.

But Cilento said the advancement is well worth the price.

“You make up for the extra cost,” he said. “Four-day inconvenience is a lot less costly to the public than 12 weeks plus.”

This past weekend, I-690 east between Teall Avenue and Thompson Road was closed, as well as the ramps from Almond Street and Interstate 81 north onto I-690 east, and the ramps from North McBride Street and Midler Avenue, The Post-Standard reported.

Monday night, all of the roads were open again, although there will be some additional work on the bridge this week, Cilento said.

Using preset concrete for bridge repair is not new to the state of New York. The NYSDOT has used precast decking on the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River and the Grand Island Bridge in Niagara Falls, Cilento said.

Each panel is custom made and cast from concrete poured into steel forms. Once trucked to the construction side, and once the old decking is removed, the new panels are lifted into place onto the existing steel bridge structure, The Post-Standard reported.

This year and the next, the NYSDOT will introduce this method to five of 13 total bridge repair projects all across Onondaga, Cayuga and Oneida counties. These projects will cost $17.4 million, The Post-Standard reported.

When the Peat Street and North Crouse Avenue bridges were identified as needing work, construction followed relatively soon after. The bridge decks needed to be addressed, said Cilento, but all other aspects are sturdy and strong.

Slate Hill will redeck I-690’s span over North Crouse Avenue in October, The Post-Standard reported. The eastbound work is to take place Oct. 12-15, and the westbound Oct. 19-22, Cilento said. Both projects will once again use precast paneling.

“This is the fist time I’ve used precast panels on an interstate highway in our DOT regions,” he said. “It’s very exciting.”

Published on September 26, 2012 at 12:07 am

Contact Sarah: seschust@syr.edu