Final Phase of Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge Project Scheduled for Week of April 16

OCEAN CITY – As the bridge deck rehabilitation on the Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge between Ocean City and Marmora nears completion, motorists will be experiencing changing traffic patterns. Early the week of April 16, the bridge will be closed during the overnight hours to remove the concrete construction barrier that separated the travel lane from the work zone.
Once the barrier is removed, the lane closing will be delineated by construction drums and will be stretched to cover the entire length of the bridge. During the deck rehabilitation process, the lane closing was limited to approximately half the length of the bridge.
Motorists have commented that the new rehabilitated decks provide a rough surface. The final step of deck construction includes the finishing of the deck surface using diamond grinding.
The surface preparation requirements will provide a smooth deck surface in addition to removal of shallow surface cracking. On average, approximately one-quarter inch of concrete surface will be removed (sacrificial concrete depth) during the diamond grinding process. 
The diamond grinding is performed at the end of the project (as opposed to following each stage) to provide a more uniform finish and higher quality product. The diamond grinding will be followed by longitudinal grooving of the deck which will further improve ride quality and provide noise reduction. 
The bridge deck has been designed to allow for both the diamond grinding and the grooving to be performed (additional deck thickness was incorporated into the deck design) without compromising strength or long term performance. In addition, a methacrylate sealer will be applied to the deck to seal from moisture intrusion.
Lastly, part of the challenge of performing deck reconstruction on bridges where traffic is maintained during construction, is minimizing cracking. Long-term closure of Roosevelt Boulevard would have minimized the cracking, but a long-term closure was not an option for this project due to traffic volumes.  The use of epoxy coated reinforcement steel, high quality high performance concrete mix design, deck sealers and deck surface preparation are utilized to extend the service life of the bridge deck despite the cracking. 
The subcontractor performing the grinding and grooving of the bridge deck is expected to work a minimum of 12 hours per day and will take at least one week to complete this construction activity.
Other work that remains to be completed on the project includes the upgrade of the approach guide rails, replacement of the concrete median curb on the Ocean City approach, restoration of the asphalt pavement immediately adjacent to the bridge abutments, placement of non-vegetated treatment under the guide rail and the restoration of areas disturbed by construction operations.
The project involved the complete replacement of the concrete deck in 14.5 spans and the rehabilitation of the deck in the other 16.5 spans; the repair and/or replacement of broken bridge rail posts; replacement of deck joints; removal of the remaining portion of the bridge that existed prior to the construction of the current Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge; structural steel repairs in the main span; and the modification of the wingwall parapet to accept the updated guide rail system.            
The construction under this project is expected to be substantially complete by May 3.
This work is part of the county’s $6,482,463 construction contract awarded by the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders to South State, Inc. on Sept. 13, 2016. The construction operations are being overseen by Maser Consulting P.A., Egg Harbor Township. The project was designed by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc., Lebanon.
Those with questions should contact the Cape May County Public Works Department at (609) 465-1035.