Woodrow Wilson Bridge Reconstruction Project, Maryland, USA

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project is a seven and a half mile reconstruction project, the centrepiece of which is the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The bridge covers a 5 mile area and is moving forward with design activities for the bridge and four adjacent interchanges. The bridge, the only federally owned span on the interstate system, will be doubling its lanes from six to twelve.

ORIGINAL BRIDGE

The original bridge opened in 1961 and was designed to carry 75,000 vehicles per day, but now it carries over 190,000. A study has shown that if the bridge is not replaced by 2004 it will need to be overhauled or a ban on trucks would be required.

BRIDGE DESIGN COMPETITION

A bridge design competition was completed in November 1998. Four firms, which submitted a total of seven concepts, were finalists in the competition. The winning design is a concept by Steinman and Deleuw. The four team's that competed were Steinman and DeLeuw (Both part of Parson Corp), Figg Engineering Group/Johnson & Mirmiran & Thompson Team, HNTB Corporation and T.Y. Lin International.

PRODUCTION AND COST

The bridge itself will cost $600 million out of a total $1.9 billion dollars for the whole project. Ramps and design expenses reached $300 million and the four large interchanges in Maryland and Virginia (two each) were valued at $1 billion.

The new bridge will consist of two 6,000ft long multiple-span bascule bridges. The total width is 257ft, which includes a 15ft gap between them. The bridge will sit on steel piles 150ft below the bottom of the river. They will be supporting 18 V-shaped piers (57 on the existing). The new bridge will add 15 more feet in clearance to 70ft over the existing bridge. By increasing the clearance the number of draw-span opening will decrease from 220 to about 70.

Production has been broken into three stages. The first contract involved dredging approximately 300,000yd³ of material for an east-west construction channel through a submerged aquatic mitigation (SAV) bed in the middle of the river. This contract started in October 2000 and finished in February 2001.

The second contract will involve the majority of foundations for the bridge as well as interim site improvements in Jones Point Park. It may also involve bulkhead improvements at both Jones Point Park and at the Maryland shore, south of the bridge, to make way for construction staging areas. The foundations will include steel pipe piles ranging in diameter from 42in to 66in for the river piers and Pier V-2, the first pier on the Virginia shore. The other Virginia piers will include 24in square prestressed concrete piles. A concrete pile cap will also be included in this contract.

The third contract will include the remainder of the construction for the Potomac River Bridge. This work includes prestressed concrete V-piers, steel box girders, concrete deck, operator's house, machinery, electrical controls, signing and roadway and aesthetic lighting. Also included will be a few foundations that overlap the existing bridge, which would not be accessible in the previous foundation contract.

FUNDING

The federal government has invested a total of $900 million into the project while Maryland and Virginia added $400 Million ($200 Million each). Congress is being pressured to come up with the last $600 million needed to fund the project.

SPONSORING AGENCIES

The project is being sponsored by four co-operating agencies, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA), and the District of Columbia Department of Public Works (DCDPW). The sponsoring agencies are being assisted by a General Engineering Consultant, which is Potomac Crossing Consultants.