New York City Department of Transportation Division of Bridges 2001 BRIDGES AND TUNNELS ANNUAL CONDITION REPORT Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor Iris Weinshall, Commissioner Anthony J. Fasulo, First Deputy Commissioner Henry D. Perahia, P.E., Chief Bridge Officer Russell Holcomb, P.E., Deputy Chief Engineer, Maint., Insp. & Operations Lawrence King, P.E., Deputy Chief Engineer, Roadway Bridges Kamal Kishore, P.E., Deputy Chief Engineer, Engineering Review and Support Albert P. Novak, P.E., Deputy Chief Engineer, Specialty Engineering and Construction Jay Patel, P.E., Deputy Chief Engineer, East River and Movable Bridges Dorothy Roses, Executive Director, Management and Support Services Contents Acknowledgements iii Commissioner’s Message iv Chief Bridge Officer’s Tribute vi Section 1 2001 Executive Summary 1 Section 2 2001 Division Overview 5 Section 3 2001 Chronology 12 Section 4 2001 Innovations and Accomplishments 27 Section 5 2001 Bridge Capital Program – Appendix A 65 Section 6 2001 Flag Conditions – Appendix B 81 Section 7 2001 Inventory – Appendix C 86 Section 8 2001 Glossary of Bridges 128 Section 9 Components of the Preventive Maintenance Program 137 Section 10 Maintenance Personnel Resources – 2001 vs 1900 142 Section 11 Bridge Inspection Equipment List 144 Section 12 Suggested Reading 145 Section 13 2001 Inventory Location Maps 149 ii 2001 BRIDGES AND TUNNELS ANNUAL CONDITION REPORT Acknowledgements Research and Analysis For their contributions and assistance in the preparation of this report, the Division of Bridges would like to extend thanks and recognition to the following: Muhammad Afzal, Robert Appel, José Bártoli, Peter Basich, Balram Chandiramani, William Chassé, Robert Cohen, William Donley, Beatriz Duran, Norine Enrione, James Gallagher, Susan Garcia, Yanina Goldfeld, John Grosso, Carroll Hall, Michael Hershey, Russell Holcomb, Abul Hossain, Peter Johe, Paul Kahn, Larry King, Kamal Kishore, Walter Kulczycki, Joseph Lamberson, Doreen Langhorne, Leon Levit, Darlene Lucchese, Omar Makki, Ali Mallick, Daniel Mando, Kevin McAnulty, NYSDOT, Kalpa Ramachandran, Abdur Razzaq, Diana Recor, Dorothy Roses, Prakesh Sapre, Mahabal Shah, Mohammed Sharif, Chris Sklavounakis, Henry Smith, Vadim Sokolovsky, Jennie Soohoo-Too, Brandon Ward, Bojidar Yanev, and Antoinette Zeitoun. Cover Photograph The Brooklyn Bridge circa 1900 Cover Design Margery Nathanson – NYCDOT Director, Design Services & Web Development Photo Credits Peter Basich: Glossary Photos, and Highbridge Pedestrian Bridge. Phuong Hoang: Yellow Flag Condition. Daniel Hom: Ninth Street Bridge. John Kurre: Falcon. Anthony Napolitano: Hutchinson River Parkway, and Grand Street Bridge. Rajendra Pandya: Safety Flag Condition. Jyotish Shah: Mill Basin Bridge Inspection. Bojidar Yanev: Brooklyn Bridge, Henry Hudson Parkway Viaduct, and Macombs Dam Bridge Inspection. Yuliy Zak: South Avenue Bridge Ceremony. Procurement of Printing Services James Gallagher, Director, Budget & Fiscal - Bridges Map Preparation Kevin McAnulty, Director, Bridge Management Unit Fitz Arthur Brown, Bridge Management Unit Magda Kaminska, NYSDOT Region 11 Prakesh Sapre, CADD/GIS - MIS Report Compiled and Prepared by: Michele N. Vulcan, Director of Analysis - Bridges New York City Department of Transportation Division of Bridges 2 Rector Street 8th Floor New York, New York 10006 iii 2001 BRIDGES AND TUNNELS ANNUAL CONDITION REPORT A Message from the Commissioner On behalf of the many dedicated professionals who staff the Division of Bridges, it is my pleasure to distribute the 2001 Edition of the New York City Department of Transportation’s Annual Bridges and Tunnels Condition Report, as mandated under New York City’s Charter. The release of this document provides the Department of Transportation with an opportunity to display the many achievements, innovations and improvements that were realized by the Division of Bridges during the 2001 calendar year. As a service organization, the Department of Transportation’s Division of Bridges always aims to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers and to minimize construction disruptions. The judicious use of Incentive/Disincentive clauses to accelerate construction programs, where appropriate, is just one example. Preventive maintenance is essential in preserving the City’s multi-billion dollar investment in its bridges. These steel and concrete structures must be vigilantly protected from the stresses of the weather, traffic, deterioration and neglect. In accordance with the Division of Bridges’ pro-active mission, 2001 was an important year for preventive maintenance. In-house repair crews eliminated 482 safety flag conditions that presented clear vehicle or pedestrian traffic hazards. Some 11,777 cubic yards of debris were removed, while 65,510 square feet of concrete were used to renew sidewalks, curbs, and road decks. Workers cleaned 1,601 bridge drains and, in the winter, sprayed 100,000 gallons of anti-icing chemicals on the East River bridges. In addition, crews eliminated 7,483,000 square feet of graffiti. The Division’s proud tradition of design and engineering excellence was recognized with the receipt of awards for the reconstruction of the Ninth Street Bridge over the Gowanus Canal from the New York Association of Consulting Engineers, and from the National Steel Bridge Alliance. The reconstruction of the Williamsburg Bridge/BMT Structure was selected as the 2001 Construction Achievement Project of the Year by the Metropolitan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In addition, the restoration of the Queensboro Bridge Bridgemarket was selected as the 2001 Rehabilitation Project of the Year in the New York Construction News Best of 2001 Awards Program. In 2001, the Division and its personnel proved, as always, equipped and ready to help the City prepare for major events including the Five Borough Bike Tour, the DUMBO Arts Festival, the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the New York City Marathon, and New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The Division of Bridges takes pride in its vital participation in the work performed at Ground Zero after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. The Division’s skilled and specialized employees responded to the emergency effort wherever they were needed and did not stint their efforts. They supplied and monitored light stands and generators; they pumped water from the basement of the NYPD Command Center next to 40 Rector Street; they swept the Battery Park Underpass and the West Street Tunnel; they cleaned three Staten Island ferries prior to the resumption of regular ferry service, provided crowd control at the St. George Ferry Terminal, maintained the emergency lane delineators on the Brooklyn Bridge, washed down streets in lower Manhattan, and assisted the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and NYPD in setting up maintenance and protection of traffic schemes on the Brooklyn Bridge. iv 2001 BRIDGES AND TUNNELS ANNUAL CONDITION REPORT Division electricians assisted with the evacuation of pedestrians across the Brooklyn Bridge immediately after the attack, provided continual light and power at Ground Zero for emergency services, wired the DOT Command Centers at 158th Street and Pier 11, maintained tunnel lighting and pumping equipment in the Battery Park Underpass and the West Street Tunnel, delivered materials ordered by OEM to designated sites, and evaluated a proposal to restore power to DOT’s headquarters at 40 Worth Street by means of a generator. Division carpenters assisted with the evacuation of pedestrians across the Williamsburg Bridge immediately after the attack, constructed ramps over fire hoses, fueled lighting and power equipment at Ground Zero, and delivered materials ordered by OEM to designated sites. Division ironworkers burned steel and cleared debris at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the attack, fabricated steel docking fenders for a new ferry landing, repaired ramps over fire hoses in the World Trade Center vicinity and delivered construction materials to designated sites. At the Coast Guard’s request, Division repair crews assisted in the installation of chain-link fencing to protect the pilot houses and ventilation systems on the Staten Island ferries. Division oilers maintained generators, pumps, and light towers at Ground Zero, supplied fuel to generators, mobile morgues, pump sets, trucks, and heavy equipment, pumped water from basements of buildings in the area, and removed debris. Division painters painted and maintained the green line, inside which protective safety equipment must be worn. In the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster, a massive deployment of heavy equipment and removal of debris was undertaken. This required allowing overweight vehicles over bridges in and around the City. Division engineers coordinated with the State and other agencies and established routes for these vehicles to move into the City from all directions and move out of it. In-house design engineers created 24 new drawings, for different routes to and from the World Trade Center and disposal sites. Division engineers also provided direction and supervision to the trades and sections involved in the rescue and relief efforts. Bridge Inspections personnel performed emergency inspections of the city's bridges and tunnels, as well as buildings and streets in the WTC vicinity, and assisted with security inspections on the Harlem River Bridges. In addition, the Division assisted in staffing the Midtown Command OEM Center, the DOT Call Center, the Whitehall Ferry Terminal,