October 3rd 2016:

Waterlogged Residents and Fans of All Things Structural:

Now that the beastly hot days of summer have passed – I miss them already – we can look forward to crisp autumn days, football, and the pain and suffering that comes with raking fallen leaves that never ends . . . .

As you drive past the Lesner Bridge Replacement Project, you probably marvel at the changes and progress that has been made with this grand structure. You may ask yourself: “Can we expect more?”

You’re daggone right, you can . . . and thanks for asking.

According to the sage of bridges . . . the Kingfish of Structures – project manager Chris Wojtowicz – not only have they made quite a bit of progress, but “the moving of the westbound Shore Drive traffic to the new westbound bridge will take place sometime during the week of October 24th.”

But I shouldn’t spoil everything . . . . Better you hear it from someone who actually knows what he’s talking about – the Kingfish himself.

Below is our latest collection of facts and figures and snappy photos – updated for your reading pleasure – that will update you on the LB progress. Don’t skip a word of it and ponder it all.

Feel free to let Chris or me know if you have any questions or need more information. If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch this construction sequence animation, please check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVkeFJWm85s

As a reminder, we are regularly updating information on our WEB page at: http://www.vbgov.com/lesner-bridge. You can also follow us on Twitter at: @lesnerbridge.

If you know of someone who would like to be added to our update list, please have them get in touch with me at this e-mail address and I will be glad to add them. Please feel free to pass this along to others.

Thanks again for all of your interest and patience throughout this project. So . . . enjoy this weather, look out for each other, and put the phone down while you’re driving.

Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach

dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O) 757.385.8062
(C) 757.409.4353

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To All:

On September 1st, the post-tensioning and grouting of the tendons for Span 10 of the new westbound bridge was completed, thus completing the last remaining span of the bridge. Since completing this span, crews have been busy both inside and outside the bridge completing other elements of the bridge’s superstructure in preparation for moving the westbound traffic off of Shore Drive from the old bridge to the new bridge.

Since the completion of the last bridge span, utility crews have been working inside the superstructure to complete construction of the new 16-inch water main, the bridge lighting conduit system, and all of the conduit systems required for the private utility companies to relocate their existing utilities from the old bridges to the new bridge.

Completed Bridge Conduit and Other Utilities Inside the New Westbound Lesner Bridge

Up on top of the bridge, crews are slowly back launching the gantry to the west and back to Span 1 where the temporary falsework has been constructed for the long term storage of this equipment. The gantry is currently located on Span 3 and will likely be launched to Span 2 by Wednesday October 5th. It is likely that crews will temporarily lock down the gantry in this location until Hurricane Matthew safely passes the Hampton Roads area. The back launch of the gantry will resume on or after October 11th.

Other critical work required to ready the bridge for the upcoming traffic switch is taking place concurrently with the gantry move and utility work. The expansion joints at each end of the bridge are being readied for installation. The first expansion joint will be installed at Abutment A – located on the west side of the bridge. Installation work for both expansion joints will be completed by the week of October 17th.

Area between abutment and bridge deck being prepared for expansion joint installation

Workers are also preparing the temporary pedestrian path along the north side of the new bridge. Concrete parapet wall and the new decorative handrail are currently being installed along the northern edge of the bridge and approaches between East Stratford Street and Page Avenue. Temporary barrier service and safety screening (galvanized chain link fence) is also being installed across the new bridge and all the way down each bridge approach to the intersections.

The area between (~4 feet) the parapet/handrailing and this temporary barrier service/safety screen will serve as the temporary pedestrian access and will be the only pedestrian access across the Lynnhaven Inlet once both old bridges are demolished during the next phase (4).

Coating of the Bridge Superstructure

Construction access ports and miscellaneous deck penetrations are being permanently sealed ahead of the scheduled pavement planing and grooving. Planing and grooving of the new bridge deck is currently scheduled for the week of October 10th and is expected to be completed by October 16th.

Since the last project update (8/18/2016), the following work has been completed:

Bridge conduit systems have been completed though the new westbound bridge;
The new 16-inch water main has been completed up to Span 10;
Back-launched the gantry from span 10 to Span 3;
Finished handrail installation along the bridge up to Span 3;
Installed temporary barrier service (for pedestrian access) along the north side of the new bridge between East Stratford Street and Span 7 of the bridge;
Installation of pullboxes and controller cabinet foundation for the new traffic signal at the Shore Drive/Page Avenue intersection;
Installation of the new traffic signal pole foundation on the west side of Page Avenue;
Installation of street light pilasters up to bridge Span 7

AMI, Inc. in Portsmouth, continues to build pre-cast concrete segments for the superstructure of the new Eastbound Lesner Bridge. A total of 44 of the 168 bridge segments have been cast for the new eastbound bridge.

Over the next two weeks, the bridge contractor will:

Complete the falsework located on the northwest side of the bridge;
Side-launch the gantry off of the new westbound bridge and onto the falsework for long term storage (~ 6 months);
Complete installation of both bridge expansion joints;
Grind and groove bridge deck between Spans 1 and 10;
Coat/paint the bridge barrier walls and parapets;
Install parapets and barrier wall along bridge Spans 4 through 10;
Complete handrail installation along the bridge;
Complete installation of 16-inch watermain inside the bridge;
Complete utility installation and rough grading for the upcoming lane shifts near the intersections of Shore Drive/East Stratford Street and Shore Drive/Page Avenue.

At this time . . . . we expect that the moving of the westbound Shore Drive traffic to the new westbound bridge will take place sometime during the week of October 24th.

Within the next week we will place variable message boards along Shore Drive, both eastbound and westbound, to alert drivers of this upcoming traffic shift. ONLY THE WESTBOUND TRAFFIC WILL BE MOVED AT THIS TIME. The eastbound traffic will continue to use the old bridge just as they do today.

After we have graded, paved and marked the transitions in the old median and westbound lanes, we will then move the eastbound traffic to the new bridge. This second traffic shift of the eastbound Shore Drive traffic will likely take place in early December.

Stay tuned!

– Chris

Christopher J. Wojtowicz, PE
Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Engineering Division
2405 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Office: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
Email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com

Screen shot of Construction Cam westbound view taken 7am October 3rd 2016

August 19th 2016 update:

Citizens, Interested Parties, and Sharp-Eyed Observers:

Gazing through the hot haze that has been hanging over our city recently, you probably have already noticed that crews have made a quite a bit of progress on the Lesner Bridge Replacement Project. In fact, according to Chris Wojtowicz, engineer, project manager, and maharishi of bridges, crews are now working on the LAST SPAN of the westbound bridge. That means big things for the upcoming fall.

You ask, “Such as . . . ?” Good question . . . .

Below is our latest collection of facts and figures and snappy photos – updated for your reading pleasure – that will update you on the LB progress. It’s great reading, as well as enlightening. Don’t skip a word of it . . . .

Feel free to let Chris or me know if you have any questions or need more information. If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch this construction sequence animation, please check it out.

As a reminder, we are regularly updating information on our WEB page at: http://www.vbgov.com/lesner-bridge. You can also follow us on Twitter at: @lesnerbridge.

If you know of someone who would like to be added to our update list, please have them get in touch with me at this e-mail address and I will be glad to add them. Please feel free to pass this along to others.

Thanks again for all of your interest and patience throughout this project. Enjoy this scorching summer weather, keep the grill fired up, avoid those skeeters . . . AND STAY COOL AND SAFE!

Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach

dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O) 757.385.8062
(C) 757.409.4353
***********************************************

To All:

It’s been a little of two years since we started the construction of the new Lesner Bridge and we are about to complete a major milestone in the project – the completion of the new westbound Lesner Bridge.

As I am writing this update, McLean Contracting is loading the gantry crane with the last 14 segments for the new westbound bridge. Erection of these segments will begin on 8/19/2016 and should be completed by 8/31/2016. A lot still has to happen before we are ready to move the westbound traffic on Shore Drive from the old bridge to the new bridge, but we are still anticipating that this traffic switch will occur sometime in early October 2016.

Between now and then, crews will be finishing the parapet wall, handrail, pavement planing and grooving of the bridge deck, installation of temporary barrier service across the new bridge for the pedestrian and bicycle path, temporary pavement markings, and paving of the traffic transition areas located at Page Avenue and at East Stratford Street.

The next 45 days will be very busy preparing the new bridge for the traffic switch, so we will provide frequent project updates on the progress of this work as we near a firm date for the movement of traffic to the new bridge.

One obvious question keeps coming up now that we have reached the other side of the Lynnhaven Inlet with our gantry crane: “Where the heck are we going to store this large piece of equipment until it is ready to be used for the new eastbound bridge?”

The answer? Once we finish erecting Span 10 of the bridge, the gantry will be “walked” back to the west until it reaches Span 1 of the bridge. From there it will be moved horizontally to the north side of the bridge using rollers and temporary steel falsework to slide the entire gantry to falsework now being installed on the beach near 3556 On the Bay Condominiums. It will remain in this location for approximately six months until it is needed for the eastbound bridge, and then it will be moved across the new westbound Lesner Bridge using the same roller and rail system to position the gantry ready to erect the new eastbound Lesner Bridge.

Temporary Steel Falsework being installed on the north side of the new westbound Lesner Bridge and west of Lynnhaven Inlet

View from the new westbound Lesner Bridge looking east-southeast ta the last remaining span (10) of the bridge

Since the last project update (6/15/2016), the following work has been completed:

· The main span (Span 5) of the westbound bridge was completed;

· Spans 7, 8, and 9 have been completed;

· The remaining expansion segment of the westbound bridge was set in Span 10;

· All segment casting for the westbound bridge was completed;

· Bridge conduit systems have been completed up to Span 6;

· The new 16-inch water main has been completed up to Span 6;

· Completed installation of the temporary trench drains along the north side of each bridge approach;

· Finished handrail installation along the retaining wall in front of 3556 On the Bay Condominiums.

Completed Handrail on top of parapet wall of new westbound Lesner Bridge

AMI, Inc. in Portsmouth, continues to build the superstructure of the new Lesner Bridge. All segments have been cast and are now complete for the westbound bridge. A total of 29 of the 168 bridge segments have been cast for the new eastbound bridge.

Over the next two weeks, the bridge contractor will:

· Load the gantry with all of the Span 10 segments;

· Complete erection of Span 10 of the westbound Lesner Bridge;

· Grind and groove bridge deck between Spans 4 and 6;

· Begin painting bridge superstructure and substructure starting at Span 1;

· Install parapets and barrier wall along bridge Spans 4, 5, & 6;

· Install bridge conduit system through bridge Span 9;

· Install 16-inch water main through bridge Span 9;

· Complete water meter relocation and installation of storm water structures on East Stratford Street in front of 3556 On the Bay Condominiums.

That’s it for now. Please drive safely!

– Chris

Christopher J. Wojtowicz, PE
Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Engineering Division
2405 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Office: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
Email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com

Screen shot of Construction Cam westbound view taken 8am August 20th 2016

No doubt you’ve seen dangerous driving on the Lesner Bridge too.

There will now be a Police presence there.

View article at Pilotonline.com:

Tractor trailers carrying over-sized loads to the site have repeatedly encountered drivers who cut in front of the trucks and then come to a sudden stop, police said in a statement released Friday. Because of the extreme weight of the trucks – about 280,000 pounds – they need a distance that is longer than a football field to be able to come to a stop.

Screen shot of construction camera today. Note Police on Lesner Bridge.

June 14th 2016 update:

Aficionados of Bridges, Roads and Beaches:

No chit chat about ice on the roads and salt and sand and that nasty wind whipping off the bay today . . . No sir-eeee . . . you can toss that talk! Now it’s nothing but thoughts of heat and sand and sun and heat and swimming pools and heat and cocoa butter and more heat!! Just soak it up and savor the summer days living in Virginia Beach.

Progress on the Lesner Bridge Replacement Project is moving onward, and I’m sure most of you can see the progress almost on a daily basis.

Below is the latest collection of facts and figures and snappy photos – updated for your reading pleasure – from Chris Wojtowicz, engineer, project manager and smarty pants about all things related to bridges. You’ll want to be sure and add this update to your paperbacks and magazines for great reading while on the beach or sailing on the bay.

Feel free to let Chris or me know if you have any questions or need more information. If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch this construction sequence animation, please check it out.

As a reminder, we are regularly updating information on our WEB page at: http://www.vbgov.com/lesner-bridge. You can also follow us on Twitter at: @lesnerbridge.

If you know of someone who would like to be added to our update list, please have them get in touch with me at this e-mail address and I will be glad to add them. Please feel free to pass this along to others.

Thanks again for all of your interest and patience throughout this project. Enjoy the summer weather, fire up the grill, and avoid those skeeters . . . AND STAY COOL AND SAFE!

Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach

dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O) 757.385.8062
(C) 757.409.4353

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To All:

Yes – that small gap in the center of the new westbound Lesner Bridge is exactly as designed.

On Monday, June 13th, 2016, the last pre-cast concrete segment in the center span of the new westbound Lesner Bridge was set and post-tensioned in place. The remaining 2-foot wide gap is known as the Main Span Closure Segment and will be formed and cast-in-place early next week during the night when the surrounding concrete is at a minimum thermal gradient. The placement of the Main Span Closure concrete will complete the most challenging portion of the bridge construction – building both cantilever sections of the 225’ wide main bridge span; one from the west and one from the east and having them both meet in the middle where they’re supposed to be. Hats off to the FIGG Bridge designers and the precise work of McLean Contracting Company!

While crews work on finishing the main bridge span (setting formwork, placing rebar, installing continuity tendons across the main span, and tendon grouting), the gantry crane will be moved off of the cantilever and to span 7 (of 10). Once the gantry is moved to Span 7, the contractor will begin work on setting the segments atop Pier column #7 while post-tensioning work is being finished in the main span (#5).

Span 5 of the new Westbound Lesner Bridge – where the east and west cantilever sections of the bridge meet.

Now, a brief summary of work that we have completed since the last project update (3/29/2016):

Ø Cantilever Span 5B of the new westbound Lesner Bridge has been completed;

Ø The falsework at pier #6 has been installed at Pier #7 in preparation for the next gantry launch;

Ø The construction of pier columns #9 has been completed;

Ø We completed segment casting for spans 8, 9 and most of 10 (four segments remaining);

Ø Streetlight pilasters have been completed at pier columns 1 and 2;

Ø Preliminary pavement planning was completed on Spans 1, 2, and 3;

Ø Base and intermediate asphalt has been placed at the new bridge approaches.

Construction of the new westbound Lesner Bridge substructure (foundations, footings, and piers) is now complete. Completion of the bridge’s superstructure is estimated for September 2016 with a partial (westbound traffic) traffic switch to the new bridge late September 2016 or early October 2016.

AMI, Inc. in Portsmouth, continues to build the superstructure of the new Lesner Bridge. A total of 164 of the 168 bridge segments have been cast for the new westbound bridge.

Over the next two weeks, the bridge contractor will:

Ø Launch the gantry to span #7 and set the pier segments on pier column #7;

Ø Deliver (via barge) the Pier #7 bridge segments and install on Pier column #7

Ø Cast-in-place the Main Spain Closure segment in Span #5;

Ø Install and post-tension the main span continuity tendons;

Ø Install temporary trench drains along the north side of each bridge approach.

That’s it for now. Please drive safely!

– Chris

Christopher J. Wojtowicz, PE
Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Engineering Division
2405 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Office: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
Email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com

Screen shot of Construction Cam eastbound view taken at 437pm June 14th ’16