The US$80.5 million Peace Bridge Rehabilitation Project is one component of an overall US$186 million, fully self-financed, five-year capital plan approved by the PBA Board.

The PBA identified the top priorities of overall project cost and maintaining operation of travel lanes when considering contractors. As part of bid submissions, contractors were required to submit the number of days within their schedule that they anticipated the bridge would experience less than three operational traffic lanes.

“Having worked on the Grand Island bridges, this contractor knows Western New York’s labour and materials markets, as well as our region’s environmental conditions,” said chair of the Peace Bridge Authority Board of Directors Sam Hoyt. “American Bridge Company is also a primary contractor on the new Tappan Zee Bridge and is well prepared to undertake the Rehabilitation Project, a project that will significantly contribute to our overall capital campaign objectives and the improvement of our span.”

American Bridge Company was the low bidder and selected at a project cost of US$80.5 million, and based on criteria including similar project experience with deck replacement, complex bridges, and financial strength.

Work is scheduled to begin this month but there will be no lane closures during the peak summer travel season; the earliest a lane closure will occur is in mid October.

The rehabilitation project will include: complete replacement of the structural slab widening of the structure, including the addition of a pedestrian walkway/bikeway and observation platform, structural steel replacement, rehabilitation and strengthening; installation of electrical and fibre infrastructure; and the installation of new architectural traffic control gantries, railings, and light posts.

In addition to the project itself, American Bridge Company will also be responsible for all construction management, including maintenance and protection of traffic on and under the Peace Bridge. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2016 and be finished by 2019.