Category 6
Transportation
OUTSTANDING PROJECT
Rehabilitation of Frederick Douglass Bridge over Anacostia River
Design/Build Project: Rummel, Klepper & Kahl
The Frederick Douglass Bridge carries South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River serving as a vital link between the Anacostia area and I-295 to the south of the river and the District of Columbia (DC) to the north. The bridge provides access into and out of downtown DC for high volumes of traffic. Prior to this rehabilitation contract, the bridge consisted of 17 spans on the DC Approach, 7 spans on the Anacostia Approach and 8 spans over the river. Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP (RK&K) teamed with Corman Construction (CCI) on a design-build (D/B) portion of this contract to modify the existing DC approach for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). The existing structure was a viaduct that passed over Potomac Avenue in DC prior to construction. In order to facilitate future traffic needs associated with the 2008 opening of the Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium adjacent to the bridge site and to spark future development of the Anacostia Waterfront area, the existing bridge profile was lowered approximately 19’ to create an at-grade intersection at South Capitol St. and Potomac Ave. The challenges associated with creating this intersection included demolishing 14 spans of bridge; lowering by jacking approximately 228’ of existing bridge structure to a new profile (to the best of the team’s knowledge, this may be the first time a bridge has ever been lowered); constructing 275’ of MSE wall approach; and constructing 1,425’ of new roadway. A further challenge was the short duration of the project. Design was 100% complete within 6 months and the bulk of construction was completed in a two month period while the bridge was closed. RK&K provided continual support during construction which required CCI to work 7 days a week, 20 hours per day. DDOT had committed to the public that the closure would not extend for more than this two month period; therefore, time was of the essence. The bridge was opened to traffic eight days early and the project has been deemed a success by all involved.
HONOR AWARD
US29/Briggs Chaney Road Interchange
Joint Venture: Wallace, Montgomery & Associates / McCormick Taylor
US 29 is a major north-south roadway connecting northern Howard County to Silver Spring. The Maryland State Highway Administration conducted planning studies in the 1980’s to determine necessary safety and operational improvement requirements throughout the corridor limits. The US 29 / Briggs Chaney Road interchange project was one of three at-grade intersections that were programmed to be reconstructed to a grade-separated interchange within the corridor limits. The existing intersection is located in an area north of Fairland in Montgomery County and was bordered by a shopping center and an auto park on the east and a town home community, Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission property, and Paint Branch High School on the west. The number of through lanes on US 29 remained the same as existing, 3-lanes in each direction, while Briggs Chaney Road and Old Columbia Pike were widened to 2-lanes each direction with turn lanes, bikeways, and pedestrian accommodations. Since the project was located in a highly urbanized area within a limited right of way envelope, the interchange geometric design was not typical. To accommodate all traffic movements, the east side of the interchange consists of tight urban diamond ramps, while the west side includes a partial cloverleaf. The project also included a two-span steel girder bridge on a curved alignment carrying six traffic lanes and two bike lanes on Briggs Chaney Road over US 29. The bridge is 114 feet wide and 183 feet long and includes curved fascia girders, a raised median, a sidewalk, a bikeway, and parapets with a simulated cut stone finish, decorative metal railings, and decorative light standards. A sound barrier was incorporated into the project to mitigate noise from the increased traffic volumes for the Avonshire Townhome Community. Other environmental improvements include stream restoration, extensive landscaping, storm water management, and water quality considerations within the Paint Branch Special Protection area.
