Construction Equipment Guide
470 Maryland Drive
Fort Washington, PA 19034
800-523-2200
Wed September 27, 2000 - Northeast Edition
Built in phases from the late 1950s to the 1960s, Interstate 87 runs from just north of New York City up into Canada. Known as the Northway from Albany north, it serves as a main access route from the Port of Montreal to the metropolitan area, as well as providing recreational access to the Adirondack Mountains and the Saratoga race course, and commuter access in the fastest-growing area of New York’s Capital District.
Kubricky Construction Company of Glens Falls, NY, has begun an $8-million construction project for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) on four bridges to replace existing structures carrying the Northway north and south over Pollock Road and Sand Creek Road in Albany County. At these locations, the Northway carries approximately 90,000 to 100,000 vehicles per day. Peter Van Keuren, Region 1 spokesman for NYSDOT, said that 10 percent of funding for the project is from the state, and 90 percent is federal money. Of the 90 percent, the great majority is TEA-21 funding.
According to John Walsh, project manager for Kubricky, work began in July on the substructures and should be completed this season. That start date allowed the project to miss most of the torrential rains experienced in the northeast in the spring and early summer, so work has proceeded according to plan. After a shutdown starting in November, the superstructure replacement will commence in March of 2001, with all work completed by next September. Currently, about 20 Kubricky employees are at work on the bridges, which is just one of 14 projects the company has in process.
All four bridges were constructed in the late 1950s to NYSDOT designs. The existing three-span structures will be replaced with single-span, precast, prestressed concrete-beam bridges on the existing alignments. Each bridge will be between 80 and 90 ft. (24.26 and 27.3 m) long. NYSDOT also has designed the replacement structures. According to NYSDOT’s Van Keuren, the single-span design is considered more economical and more easily constructed.
Pollock Road was shut down while Kubricky crews lowered the grade to increase clearance under the bridge, which will accommodate the lower beam on the new structure. The Pollock Road abutment has been poured. Scott Gordon, equipment coordinator for the D. A. Collins family of companies, which includes Kubricky, said that the crew had been “in a mad rush to get Pollock Road open for school buses.” The road reopened after the Labor Day holiday, perhaps to the disappointment of local students.
Gordon said the major pieces of equipment in use for the substructure work are two Kawasaki TM 65-Z loaders, rented from Contractor Sales in Albany, NY, one at each site. He said all the attachments make the TM 65-Z “real versatile equipment. Using them is like killing three or four birds with one stone. Each one has forks, a bucket, and a broom for cleaning the road, which lets us avoid renting separate equipment.”
The versatility of the TM 65-Z makes it especially valuable at the Sand Creek Road site, where the busy road remains open and space is tight in a heavily developed business and retail location. Footings for the new bridge at this site were in place, and workers had already formed and poured the new abutments at the south side of both bridges. New abutments will extend higher than the current ones (signaled by exposed rebar at top of abutment), and are finished with a ridged architectural concrete chosen for its aesthetic appeal.
In the spring, phased placement of the superstructure will begin, scheduled around keeping the Northway open for traffic at all times. Kubricky’s Project Manager, John Walsh, said there would be three phases of detours involving lane switches.
L. C. Whitford of Elmira, NY, will supply 92.4-ft. (28 m) long precast beams for the bridge superstructures, the heaviest of which will weigh 60 tons (54 t). Walsh said that Kubricky will probably rent hydraulic cranes to place the beams, but the decision on who to rent from will wait until next spring.
All in all, Kubricky will move 12,000 cu. yds. (9,120 cu m) of dirt for the embankments, and will use 4,000 cu. yds. (3,040 cu m) of concrete, including the precast beams. Stilsing Electric Inc., is the electrical subcontractor. Elderlee Inc. will provide signage and guiderails, and Straight Line Industries will do road striping.
With TEA-21 funding available, New Yorkers can expect Northway structures and the highway to be refreshed over the course of the next few years, and contractors can expect their busy season to continue.