New York Bridge Goes Wireless

Monitor would be sensor for possible bridge deficiencies. Also, New Jersey DOT announces two highway projects.

University and State Hope to Install Bridge Sensor

Researchers at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York are working with the New York State Energy & Research Development Authority to implement a wireless bridge monitor.

The monitor, which will be a sensor box attached to the as-yet-unnamed bridge’s underside, will collect data from different sensors on the bridge and send information to a base node which will process the data into quantitative measurements.

A bridge between Canton and Potsdam, NY will be used as a test for the monitor, “not because that particular one is structurally deficient, but we are testing all types of bridges and challenges to make sure the bridges’ responses can be monitored,” explained Kerop Janoyan, part of the research team and an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Clarkson. Janoyan is joined by a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer in the project.

The bridge sensors will also lend themselves to other fields, such as construction. “They are not necessarily for commission assessment, but also for construction monitoring,” said Janoyan. “The sensors can measure if vibrations are effecting new construction, and can also be using in excavating, or to monitor excessive settlement.

Last fall, Janoyan deployed a sensor on a bridge in St. Lawrence County that tracked 40 channels. His team installed the monitor themselves and if New York State Department of Transportation – which still has not granted final approval for the sensor – allows the project to go forward, Janoyan will also install the wireless sensor box. The name of the bridge to receive the system has yet to be disclosed.

Meanwhile, NYSERDA will fund $400,000 of the $500,000 project, although Janoyan said that number is a bit arbitrary given the wide range of elements involved. NYSDOT also plans to donate $10,000 for the project.

“The integrity of transportation infrastructure is vital to the economy,” said Sal Graven, a spokesperson for NYSERDA. “Moving goods and services across a bridge is good, but the safety of its crossers is a far greater concern.”

This project is not the first collaboration between Clarkson and the authority. NYSERDA receives proposals from the school, which then go through a submission process and a technical evaluation panel. A determination is then made regarding funding. NYSERDA will continue to work with Clarkson University given that “it is a very credible engineering school,” said Graven.

“Certainly the Minnesota bridge collapse sparked interest in bridge monitoring, but this project has been ongoing since January 2004,” Graven said, referring to the Aug. 1 collapse of the I-35W bridge collapse that left 13 dead and several others injured in Minneapolis. “The main goal is to develop low-cost sensor and tracking that monitors the structure’s health and load-bearing capacity. If a system does its job and lives are saved while transporting services for the good of the community, hopefully it will prevent incidents like I-35W and previous thruway collapses.”

Janoyan and team will be deploying one system later this year and one in spring 2008.

Construction Started on Route 440 and I-287 Projects

New Jersey Department of Transportation recently launched two highway revitalization projects. The southbound lane of Route 440 will be resurfaced and I-287 will be completely rehabilitated.

Route 440, the $6-million project that began in August, “will increase motorist safety, improve the efficiency of the roadway and increase the road’s lifespan by up to 15 years,” said NJDOT Commissioner Kris Kolluri. “The newly resurfaced roadway will provide motorists a steadier and safer drive.”

Construction begins on Route 440 at mile-marker zero at the intersection of the New Jersey Turnpike and continues until mile marker 3.8, near Kreil Avenue. The stretch of construction will run through Middlesex and Edison Counties. A temporary structure for debris removal is not necessary given that work is only being performed on the southbound lane. There is not yet a design addressing the northbound side, said NJDOT spokesman Tim Greeley.

“The Pavement Management Unit is currently developing their list of potential new starts for the FY'09 - FY'10 program and it is possible that section will be addressed at that time, but as of now there is nothing set,” he said.

As for traffic regulation, NJDOT will be reinforcing and incorporating the shoulder to ensure an adequate number of travel lanes during construction, explained Greeley.           

Most of the construction work will be performed at night to accommodate commuters. “The project will probably be seamless because of overnight work and every attempt to keep the same number of lanes open,” said Greeley.            

Construction is slated for completion in January 2008.

Work also recently began on the six miles of roadway on I-287. The rehabilitation project will start at mile post zero and New Jersey Turnpike West and will run to Stelton Road/Exit 5. Both the northbound and southbound lanes will be rehabilitated.

“NJDOT’s Route 287 rehabilitation project will provide motorists significant safety and operational improvements,” said Commissioner Kolluri. “This $40 million effort in Middlesex County reflects NJDOT’s statewide investment in providing safer, smoother and longer lasting driving surfaces.”

Since I-287 involves four bridge decks, the project will be performed in two stages. The first concentration is the Durham Avenue bridge in the northbound lane. “Working with asphalt is difficult in the winter months mainly because of cracking, and since bridge decks involve primarily concrete, we need to work on those first,” explained Greeley. The anticipated completion date for work on the Durham Avenue bridge is in the end of 2007. After the other three bridge decks are completed, work on the main roadway should begin in the summer of 2008. The final completion date for all construction on I-287 is in November 2008.

NJDOT will employ lane shifts, utilize shoulders and erect a temporary structure to regulate traffic during construction.

Work for both Route 440 and I-287 was designed in-house at NJDOT but they sought out a design consultant for the I-287 work. Both projects will have the same NJDOT program manager, Steve Manera. The construction contract was awarded to Joseph Defino Trucking Company in Clifford Beach, NJ for the Route 440 project and granted to Tarheel Enterprises in Morgan, NJ for the I-287 project.

Clark Traffic Circle Project Underway

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has announced roadway improvement plans for a traffic circle located at Exit 135 off the Garden State Parkway in Clark Township. Work on the Clark Circle was estimated to begin in August but was delayed because of scheduling at the NJTA. Construction officially began in September.

The $4.3 million project will reconfigure the exit, eliminating persistent delays on the Garden State Parkway and improving traffic flow through Clark Circle. NJTA will be realigning and expanding the northbound and southbound lanes to provide better sight distance. Two new connector roads will also be added to accommodate the installation of four traffic signals at the intersections of Central Avenue and the Garden State Parkway ramps. Geometric, daytime/nighttime lighting, milling and resurfacing improvements are also scheduled.

NJTA officials forecast that these improvements will alleviate extensive delays caused by the 60,000 motorists yielding in the Clark Circle and will instead produce regulated traffic.

Construction will be limited to off-peak hours to accommodate commuters. The impact to local businesses and residents will be minimized through a thorough Maintenance and Protection of Traffic plan, all according to the NJTA.

The engineering firm on the project is Vollmer Associates, who recently joined with Stantec, and the construction contract has been awarded to Tilcon New York’s offices in New Jersey.

The improvements on the Clark Circle will be completed in May 2008.

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