REHABILITATION OF 14TH STREET BRIDGES OVER POTOMAC RIVER

Clients: District Department of Transportation (DDOT)
Project Time Period: April 2009 – April 2011
Contract Value: $29.4 million
MCC Job No.: 08-07

PROJECT SCOPE

This extensive project comprised a very large scope of work, including dredging the riverbed and placement of tremie concrete around five of the piers, design and installation of cofferdams (up to 40 feet deep) around the piers, encasement of the pier footings and stems with concrete matching the existing stone, and the design and installation of a post-tensioning system for each casement. Notable components of work on the bridge’s superstructure consisted of design and implementation of comprehensive traffic control measures, deck spall and crack repairs, removal of existing asphalt wearing surface on the deck and placement of latex-modified concrete overlay, joint repairs and installation of a new trough system, comprehensive removal, containment, and abatement of the existing lead-based coating and repainting of the structural steel, and relocation of utilities, as well as retrofit/repair of street lights and navigation lights in the underlying waterway.

PROJECT CHALLENGES

This particular bridge spans the entire width of the Potomac River and crosses over National Park Service property near the gateway to the Jefferson Monument. This project was governed by some of the most stringent restrictions pertaining to the environment and the surrounding wildlife, including consideration by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the spawning seasons of certain native species. Consequently, challenges facing the project team range from minimizing local traffic impacts and accommodating the heavy flow of tourists to protecting the indigenous wildlife and maintaining the glimmer of the park land surrounding the nearby national monument.

PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE

This project, one of the largest undertaken by Martins Construction Corporation to date, is one that best showcases the company’s wide range of technical capabilities and expertise. This bridge is one of the main vehicular arteries into and out of the District of Columbia, so the successful completion of this project allows numerous D.C. residents, employees, and tourists to access the nation’s capital.