Atlas Evaluation & Inspection Services (AEIS) has completed inspection and testing for New Jersey Department of Transportation’s new Wittpenn Bridge, a vertical-lift bridge that extends New Jersey Route 7 over the Hackensack River. The bridge represents the state’s first orthotropic bridge deck, a lightweight structural steel deck plate featuring longitudinal ribs and transverse floor beams under a wearing-surface covered steel plate. An orthotropic design offers greater structural efficiency due to reduced need for concrete as well as a 100-year life span.
A leading inspection and certification company based in South Plainfield, N.J., AEIS used nondestructive testing (NDT) on the newly-created bridge. AEIS also completed welding inspections on the two orthotropic deck splices that run the length of the lift span.
The original Wittpenn Bridge, named for former Jersey City Mayor H. Otto Wittpenn, was structurally deficient and functionally obsolete at over 90 years old. The new Wittpenn Bridge, constructed approximately 200 feet north of the original bridge, is slated for completion in early 2023.
“We are proud to have partnered with the general contractor CCA Civil and its structural steel partner Northeast Structural Steel to complete inspection and testing of the new, state-of-the-art Wittpenn Bridge," said Nagesh Goel, President and Co-Founder of AEIS, in a press release. “AEIS specializes in testing and inspection with significant experience working on some of the area’s most important bridges and large infrastructure projects, with a goal of optimizing safety and meeting code.”
The new Wittpenn Bridge includes additional traffic lanes, wider lanes, east and west approaches, improved connections to Routes 1 and 9 in Jersey City, increased vertical clearance over the Hackensack River, and greater motorist safety and efficiency. The new bridge also will serve pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
“Serving as a key corridor into New York City, the existing Wittpenn Bridge was almost a century old and needed to be updated for the 21st Century,” said Pablo Lemus, Project Manager and Assistant President, CCA Civil, in a press release. “Serving an estimated 50,000 vehicles per day, the new bridge will be an important part of the state’s infrastructure and will increase travel efficiency for both vehicular and marine traffic and improve safety for all. Our company’s mission is to provide win-win outcomes and bring the highest value to our clients and communities, realized through partnering with inspection experts in order to ensure safety and quality for each and every project.”
The new Wittpenn Bridge included the construction of a new vertical lift span, the associated steel lift towers, a control system, and road approaches.
“The new Wittpenn Bridge will improve transportation conditions for years to come,” said Karl Plattner of Northeast Structural Steel. “It is imperative that a large bridge project have an experienced inspection team like AEIS to perform inspection and testing to ensure the final product is built according to the owner’s specifications—while ensuring an optimal level of safety.”
