Problems with Whittier Bridge project

The Newburyport Daily News ^ | May 4, 2017 | Jim Sullivan

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

AMESBURY — A recent quality inspection of the $300 million John Greenleaf Whittier Bridge replacement project turned up evidence of substandard work – for the second time – that could push back the project’s estimated late summer/early fall completion date.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation began work to demolish the 62-year-old Interstate 95 bridge over the Merrimack River and replace it with separate northbound and southbound bridges in 2013.

While the northbound bridge was completed in 2015, quality inspectors for MassDOT recently found that concrete poured for a pier cap on the southbound bridge by an unnamed contractor did not meet the department’s standards.

The contractor has been told to remove and reconstruct the pier cap at no additional cost to taxpayers and with no reduction in the number of travel lanes, according to an email from MassDOT spokesman Patrick Marvin.

Demolition of the pier cap is expected to take place in June, with the concrete for the new pier cap being poured by the middle of August before construction of the new bridge resumes with installation of precast concrete bridge panels and structural steel.

“This due diligence by MassDOT inspectors will ensure the contractor is held to the appropriate standard and delivers exactly what the taxpayers have paid for,” Marvin wrote. “While this work continues, three lanes of travel will continue to be maintained both north and southbound, with no additional traffic impacts expected during these operations.”

While Marvin did not specify which subcontractor was responsible for the faulty concrete pour, according to the MassDOT website, Walsh Construction Co. has led the construction of the project while McCourt Construction has taken the lead in work on the roadway.

“MassDOT is working to fully assess the schedule impacts associated with this matter,” Marvin said. “However, the traveling public will continue to use the current traffic pattern with three lanes and MassDOT will not be paying for the work to be redone as the contractor will be.”

The recent news is not the first time a faulty concrete pour has been reported during the project. A previous faulty pour by Walsh/McCourt was discovered in summer 2014 but did not set the project back. The companies fixed the work at their own cost.

[dr_lew]

While the northbound bridge was completed in 2015, quality inspectors for MassDOT recently found that concrete poured for a pier cap on the southbound bridge by an unnamed contractor did not meet the department’s standards.

The contractor has been told to remove and reconstruct the pier cap at no additional cost to taxpayers and with no reduction in the number of travel lanes, according to an email from MassDOT spokesman Patrick Marvin.

Yeah, I guess we can all get out our beach chairs and watch while the contractor fulfills this edict of the MassDOT czar.

[dr_lew]

I was going to try to post the image, but too much trouble. If you zoom in on this bridge from Google Maps, you’ll see a rusted steel struss arch bridge. It’s the familiar green paint job, but rusted. It’s tempting to think that they were too lazy to repaint it, so decided to rebuild it. I dunno. But the whole thing seems kind of suspect to me. “You’re mileage may vary.”

[dr_lew]

DOH! Of course “struss” s/b “truss” ... I don’t even want to get into it!

[texas booster]

I am not a concrete man, but on any project I've ever seen there are loads of testing on all concrete pours. Most anything also covered by the concrete needs a full inspection before the concrete is poured.

Concrete pours are so temperature and moisture sensitive that I have seen projects held up until it can be perfect. At least that's the way a commercial project is run.

Have no fear, Walsh/McCourt will find a way to get this expense reimbursed by Mass taxpayers.

[vooch]

Gov’t should privatize interstates & highways. Let the free market reign

[Real Cynic No More]

Speculation: concrete truck drivers added gallons and gallons of water to the mix to keep it plastic because they were late to the pour due to heavy traffic. The test cylinders inspectors then took from the pour didn’t pass strength tests or air entrainment tests.

[BobL]

“While the northbound bridge was completed in 2015, quality inspectors for MassDOT recently found that concrete poured for a pier cap on the southbound bridge by an unnamed contractor did not meet the department’s standards.”

I’d suspect the ‘unnamed’ contractor has a name that would upset a certain minority group. But at least the Democrats are happy that they got the work in the first place.