Replacement of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (Q-Bridge)
New Haven, CT.
Presenter: Brian Mercure, Assistant District Engineer
ConnDOT District 3A

Join us for a construction site tour of the replacement of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge with Brian Mercure, ConnDOT District 3A’s Assistant District Engineer.  A presentation discussing the bridge replacement will be followed by a site tour which will show current construction activities mostly of which are foundation related.

Project Description:
The I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program is one of the largest transportation improvement initiaties ever undertaken by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT).  The program includes operational, safety and capacity improvements to 7.2 miles of I-95, transit enhancements including a new Shore Line East commuter rail station at State Street in New Haven and construction of a new signature, ten-lane bridge.

Replacement of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge (known locally as the Q-Bridge):  At the confluence of the Quinnipiac and Mill Rivers, the existing six-lane bridge over New Haven Harbor suffers from several structural deficiencies and can no longer accommodate today’s high traffic volumes. When it was built in 1958 as part of the 206-km (129-mile) -long Connecticut Turnpike, it was the largest bridge along the turnpike and included the longest plate girder span in the U.S. The new ten-lane replacement bridge will also be a first—the first extradosed bridge constructed in the U.S.
An extradosed bridge is a hybrid between a cable-stayed and a box-girder structure. Similar in appearance to a cable-stayed bridge, but with shorter towers, the extradosed bridge's structural performance is similar to that of a post-tensioned bridge. The main difference to a post-tensioned structure is that the cables are located outside the superstructure rather than within it. The towers of an extradosed bridge are typically half the height above the deck compared to the towers of an equivalent cable-stayed bridge.

About the Speaker:
Brian Mercure is the Assistant District Engineer for ConnDOT’s District 3A Construction Office in New Haven on the I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program.

Over a 25 year career in the Department, Mr. Mercure ascended from an entry-level position to the present assignment as Assistant District Engineer.  His knowledge of the District’s administrative and operational functions, which supports the construction projects, began with his time as an intern, when he worked in the District office.  His skills and abilities in the principles and practices of highway and bridge construction come from being responsible for the control of a variety of major projects varying in degrees of difficulty.  He has been involved in over fifty construction projects worth over $4 billion.  Among the projects he has successfully completed are, a $12 million rehabilitation of the Route 1 bridge over the Housatonic River (Devon Bridge); $20.5 million construction and improvements to the Stamford Rail Storage and Maintenance of Equipment Facility; $120 million Stamford Train Station Enhancement Program, the $87 million Sikorsky Bridge Reconstruction and presently is overseeing the $2.2 billion I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program.

Since this is a construction site, attendees must provide their own hard hats and wear suitable jobsite footwear.  Attendees are encouraged to bring safety vests if they have them.

Attendance to this seminar is worth 2.0 New York PDH Credit
 
        
DATE:         Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
PLACE:       PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF OFFICE                   
                    424 Chapel Street
                    New Haven, CT

TIME:        
4:00 to 5:00    Bridge Replacement Presentation
5:00 to 6:30    Construction Site Tour             
       
COST:        SEC Members and Non-Members: FREE (Limit First 40 people to sign up)