The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its completion in 1964.
The project involves the replacement of the existing concrete-filled steel grid deck at the upper level with a new steel orthotropic deck. Work is expected to be completed in four main stages and includes the installation of new finger joints, a bridge barrier, bridge drainage system, orthotropic deck waterproofing, Rosphalt asphalt overlay, new sign structures, and upper and lower deck lighting.
In order to verify the performance of the new deck's design, a full scale prototype underwent several years of testing and successfully endured more than five million cycles of simulated truck traffic loading at Lehigh University's Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) engineering research centre.
"The advantages of an orthotropic deck versus a traditional concrete deck are that orthotropic decks are a more durable, lighter and stiffer deck system, improving seismic and wind performance of the bridge," explained MTA’s Verrazano-Narrows facility engineer David Riggs. "An added benefit is that the deck system is a continuous structure without expansion joints, which tend to leak and accelerate deterioration of the supporting steel below."
Site work expected to begin in early 2013 with final completion anticipated by the end of 2017.
A separate contract will be awarded in 2013 to construct a new ramp on the Brooklyn side of the bridge.
