Staten Island Expressway: Bradley and Woolley Viaducts will switch to one-way traffic until Spring 2024

STATEN ISLAND, NY — Drivers who frequent the Bradley Avenue and Woolley Avenue overpasses will soon be subjected to nearly two years of detours to accommodate a major construction project.

In June, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $46 million investment to rehabilitate four overpasses along the Staten Island Expressway (SIE), including the Bradley Avenue and Woolley Avenue overpasses.

“New York State is committed to rebuilding our infrastructure and ensuring that our transportation system remains safe and reliable, which will allow our economy to grow and keep our communities vibrant,” Hochul told the time.

The project includes structural repairs and the installation of new bridge decks, which are expected to increase the service life of the viaducts by 40 years and reduce the need for future maintenance work.

However, to accommodate the massive undertaking, the overpasses will be reduced to two lanes of traffic and traffic will only be permitted in one direction on each bridge from Friday, September 16 until early spring 2024.

The Woolley Avenue Viaduct will only handle southbound traffic, while the Bradley Avenue Viaduct, located approximately half a mile down the service road, will only handle northbound traffic.

This means cars heading north on Woolley Avenue will be diverted right onto South Gannon Avenue, left onto the Bradley Avenue overpass, then left onto North Gannon Avenue.

Cars heading south on Bradley Avenue will be diverted right onto North Gannon Avenue, left onto the Woolley Avenue overpass, then left onto South Gannon Avenue.

Trucks will be subject to even longer detours using Victory Boulevard, with signs for car and truck detours posted in the area by the State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

The project will include the replacement of the concrete bridge decks, as well as the installation of new sidewalks and steel sills at the two overpasses.

The new bridge decks will use “bonding slabs” instead of traditional bridge joints, which should reduce the amount of periodic maintenance required.

The steel girders of the structure and the concrete of the columns and pier abutments will be repaired, new pedestrian fencing will be installed and the steel guardrails of the bridge will be replaced with concrete barriers.

The project will use polyester polymer concrete (PPC), which provides waterproof protection to new concrete surfaces.

Utilities will be replaced along the two upper decks, with new LED lighting installed below to improve nighttime visibility on the freeway.

In addition, the project will fully resurface affected intersections, add pavement markings, and install new street lighting, accessible pedestrian signals, and curb ramps.

BRADLEY OVERPASS INCIDENTS

The rehabilitation of the Bradley Avenue Viaduct comes years after two disturbing incidents related to deteriorating conditions.

On November 9, 2018, a large chunk of cement from the Bradley Avenue overpass broke off and fell onto the Staten Island Freeway during the evening rush, leaving chunks of cement strewn everywhere.

Temporary repairs to the overpass were made immediately while NYSDOT officials assessed span conditions to determine appropriate permanent repair work.

During the temporary repairs, steel plates were installed on the bridge deck, with wooden planks installed underneath, to make the bridge safe for travel.

In December 2018, permanent repairs were carried out on site to further stabilize the bridge.

Despite repairs, on April 16, 2019, debris fell from the overpass onto the Staten Island Freeway for the second time in six months.

The Bradley Avenue Overhead Bridge had received a “poor” rating in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory for 2021, indicating that at least one of the bridge’s four major components had received a bad mark during his last inspection.

The annual National Bridge Inventory provides a comprehensive listing of all highway bridge conditions across the country using data submitted by state and federal agencies.

Scores are based on the lowest score obtained on the four main components of the bridge: deck, superstructure, substructure and culvert.

If the lowest score for any of the four components is 7 or higher, the bridge is classified as “good” condition. If the lowest rating is 5 or 6, the bridge is rated in “fair” condition. Finally, if the lowest rating is 4 or less, the bridge is classified as “poor” condition.

The Bradley Avenue Viaduct Bridge has been rated in “poor” condition after receiving a deck component rating of 4, according to the National Bridge Inventory.

In February, a NYSDOT representative told Advance/SILive.com that the upper deck, which was last inspected in July 2021, poses no immediate safety concerns.

Had inspectors deemed the bridge unsafe for travel, it would have been temporarily closed until necessary repairs were made, the representative said.

“The Bradley Avenue Bridge is safe. The New York State Department of Transportation has one of the most rigorous bridge inspection programs in the country. The state requires all highway bridges to be inspected at least every two years, and is one of the few states in the nation that requires bridge inspection crews to be led by licensed professional engineers who have completed training specific,” NYSDOT spokesperson Glenn Blain said. time.