Crews are closing in on the February 2016 completion date on a nearly $2 million contract to repair the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah, Ga.

Crews are closing in on the February 2016 completion date on a nearly $2 million contract to repair the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah, Ga.

Work began last spring and has proceeded as expected, said Jill Nagel, Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman.

The contract calls for the demolition and repair of 874 sq. ft. (81.2 sq m) of concrete expansion joints, as well as edge girder anchorage repairs, fabrication and welding of pipe crack repair brackets and supports, bridge jacking and pier cap spall repairs and inspection and maintenance of 144 EA cable stays including tape repairs to cables.

The Talmadge Memorial Bridge spans the Savannah River carrying US17/SR 404 Spur between downtown Savannah and Hutchinson Island. Completed in March 1991, the new Talmadge Memorial cable-stayed bridge replaced the old Talmadge cantilever truss bridge to accommodate large ships entering the Port of Savannah, fourth busiest seaport in the nation and the largest single ocean container terminal on the U.S. eastern seaboard. The bridge roadway at the middle of the main span is 185-ft. (56.3 m) above sea level. The towers are both 420-ft. (128 m) above sea level at the top.

The 1.9-mi. (3 km) long bridge consists of a 2,925 ft. ( 891 m) south approach and 2,605 ft. (794 m) north approach that meet at the 2,039 ft. (621 m) main span. Both the north and south approaches are post-tensioned girder and concrete span bridges but the main span is a cable stay bridge using a post tensioned strand system.

“The approaches are built primarily on spread concrete footers supported by pre-stressed square concrete piles,” Nagel said. “Concrete piers continue up from the footers that support pre-stressed concrete girders with a concrete deck built above the girders. The main span is supported by two concrete towers that stand 420 feet above sea level. Each tower holds 72 cables that are anchored to the deck of the main span.”

Workers are using suspended scaffolding that is anchored to the towers to access the cables on the towers. They also are using bridge inspection platforms to access areas under the bridge to allow access to the concrete cap repairs.

The project has required lane closures on the bridge.

“All traffic control plans are submitted to GDOT before work is allowed to start and after approval, the plans go into effect,” Nagel said. “All workers had to be trained and there must be a dedicated traffic control supervisor who is trained in lane closures.”

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