REPLACEMENT OF BRIDGE NO P-403
BADEN NAYLOR ROAD OVER ROCK CREEK
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MARYLAND
On September 7, 2011, the north abutment of Bridge No. P-403 (Baden Naylor Road over Rock Creek) was severely undermined due to scour, resulting in the loss of the abutment and collapse of the bridge and approach roadway during Tropical Storm Lee. Baden Naylor Road was closed immediately to traffic, resulting in more than a 6 mile detour. The existing structure was a single-lane two span continuous reinforced concrete slab bridge. The substructure consisted of two reinforced concrete abutments with wing walls and a solid-shaft reinforced concrete pier all on spread footings.
In late 2011, Prince George’s County DPW&T created a fast track project utilizing on call engineering consultant, The Wilson T. Ballard Company (WTB), and on call bridge contractor, Rustler Construction, Inc. The design team included AB Consultants, Inc. to perform setting survey control; geotechnical investigation; and roadway, storm water management, storm drainage, and erosion and sediment control design.
The project required a full range of engineering services including wetland identification; field surveys (topography, stream cross sections, property location, and boring stakeout); deed research; preparation of property mosaic, right-of-way plats and metes and bounds descriptions; coordination with utility companies; participation in wetland jurisdictional review; hydrologic and hydraulic analysis for out-of-kind structure replacement; environmental documentation; coordination with reviewing agencies; foundation and scour analysis; preliminary and final bridge design; preparation of contract plans, specifications and engineer’s cost estimate; participation in review meetings with County; review of shop drawings and consultation during construction.
During the preliminary design phase, fabricators were contacted concerning availability of material, cost and delivery time of the superstructure beams, either precast prestressed concrete or structural steel. The delivery time for the prestressed concrete box beams was a third of the time as that for a steel superstructure and less costly, which were important factors in the overall project. The County selected the single span 72’ long prestressed concrete box beam bridge alternative on March 15, 2012, at which time the Design Team initiated preparation of Semi-Final Plans.
At the Semi-Final stage, the County began negotiating the cost of the project with the Contractor. The Contractor was given Notice-to-Proceed on December 3, 2012, with a completion time of 180 calendar days. Construction was substantially complete and the bridge opened to open to traffic at the end of June 2013, 15 months from the formal design notice-to-proceed.
In approximately 18 months (including in-stream restriction) this team designed, permitted, acquired right-of-way, relocated aerial and underground utilities, removed the existing structure, and constructed a larger hydraulically appropriate bridge and approach roadway.
The coordination between all parties, including the County, consultants, reviewing agencies, utility owners, contractor, and adjacent landowners, working together, accomplished the goal of putting the road back in service as quickly as possible. The Project Team collaborated on unique strategies and solutions in order to deliver an outstanding project on an accelerated schedule to address the concerns of the local community.
As a result, the Baden Naylor Road bridge project was awarded the County Engineers Association of Maryland (CEAM) and MdQI’s 2014 Project of the Year.
