Over the course of the project, the entire 1,785-foot long elevated Bronx approach to the bridge will be replaced from the ground up with a completely new structure, including foundations and 15 double-arch concrete piers to support a widened roadway constructed of steel girders and concrete deck, according to the release. The new structure will be wider to provide lanes and shoulders that meet present-day width standards, although the number of travel lanes on the Bronx approach will remain the same: three in each direction.

The initial stage of the Bronx approach project involves constructing the new piers and foundations, and removing the median barrier. That work will last approximately a year-and-a-half, beginning by year's end, according to the release.

The second major stage of the project will entail demolition of the existing roadway, lane by lane, and constructing the new roadway superstructure over the course of two-and-a-half years. The third major stage, which is expected to be completed over the final four months of the project, will involve demolishing the existing piers and final site improvements such as landscaping and draining upgrades.

The 2,300-foot long, 74-foot wide suspension span, which will mark its 70th anniversary next year, has been the subject of several projects in recent years to extend its life by reducing the load on the cables. "The approach roadway is reaching the end of its useful life, and this construction project is central to maintaining the integrity of the 69-year-old Bronx-Whitestone Bridge for many decades to come," says David Moretti, acting president of MTA Bridges & Tunnels, in a statement.

As part of the $2.5-billion, self-funded 2008-2013 capital improvement program-- announced last March, MTA Bridges & Tunnels--has further projects in mind for the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, including similar renovation work on the Queens approach. The agency also has projects planned for the Throgs Neck, Robert F. Kennedy--formerly Triborough--Verrazano-Narrow, Henry Hudson, Cross Bay Veterans Memorial and Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial bridges, along with the Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn-Battery tunnels.

Some of the projects will continue phases of work that began in the current 2005-2008 capital program period. The program is being financed by bonds backed by the agency's toll revenue, according to MTA.

Instant Insights /

MTA Awards $193M Contract for Bronx Bridge

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