Ed Koch Queensboro Inspection & Rehabilitation

Overview

Completed in 1909, the two-level double cantilever Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge in New York City is the only major East River crossing that isn’t a suspension bridge. Connecting Queens to Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Ed Koch Queensboro was the longest cantilever span bridge in North America until 1917. While it once carried trolleys and horse-drawn carriages into Manhattan, today the Ed Koch Queensboro features nine vehicular lanes and one pedestrian and bike lane, supporting an estimated 170,000 daily commuters.

We provided bridge inspection services to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) for the bridge’s 2014 and 2016-2017 biennial inspections as well as design and construction support for the subsequent reconstruction of the bridge’s upper deck system. The rehabilitation was completed in 2020 and the upper deck completed in 2022.

Inspection & Rehabilitation Highlights

• We provided inspection services in 2014 for the bridge’s main spans and approach spans.
• We also assisted the NYSDOT in the implementation of AASHTO Bridge Element Level inspection to the East River Bridge inspection program.
• We performed the biennial inspection successfully and completed the project on-time and within budget.
• Flanking the bridge on its north side is the Roosevelt Island Tram, New York City’s only aerial tramway and one of three active commuter tramways in the United States. We provided the original structural design for the tramway’s 1976 debut and used advanced computer analysis to assist in its rehabilitation and equipment upgrade in 2011.

Redecking Highlights

• To support the new roadway, our specialists designed a customized-welded, open-rib orthotropic deck with a waterproof overlay.
• The open-rib design, which is uncommon in the U.S., uses less steel than other options. This lowers embodied carbon and reduces the load carried by the bridge’s 115-yearold steel trusses.
• Our designers used custom finite-element software to create 10 rib configurations with varying panel depth and length.
• The project also adds dedicated pedestrian and cyclist lanes that will more safely convey people between Queens and Manhattan.