Updates

June 2024

Throughout the month of June, crews worked on stripping form work from the superstructure. They completed form work, rebar, and concrete placement for the abutment 1 joint. Workers stripped the abutment 1 joint, built the ramp onto the deck, cleared off the deck, repaired curb stirrups, and prepared for curb placements. The bridge rail was installed, and crews stripped curb forms and began stripping deck forms. The slopes between bridges were loamed and shaped.

 

 

May 2024

Throughout May crews began slope work around abutment 1 using rip rap, loam and other stone ditch protection. Falling gravel was removed from the abutment 1 approach. This work was completed in May. Around Pleasant Cove, form work was continued along with rebar tying and concrete placement. Forms were then removed. The contractor on this project is Reed & Reed. The contract amount is $34.3 million.

 

 

April 2024

Throughout April crews completed abutment 1 slab and rebar form work and completed concrete placement. Crews placed concrete on select sections of the bridge deck and continued placing ASCG between bridges and began falsework for the bridge deck.

 

March 2024

Work on the Station 46 superstructure involved completing form work, rebar, and concrete placement for the upper section of the abutment 1 backwall. Continued form work and rebar for haunch section of span 1 and granular borrow backfill. Work on Pleasant Cove saw the completed curing and stripping forms for abutment 2. They also completed the rip-rap around abutment 2, the granular borrow backfill, and began the cofferdam removal, and began mobilizing the crane for setting of the beams, and began setting beams.

 

 

February 2024

In February, Reed & Reed made significant progress on multiple fronts. At Station 46 Superstructure, they completed the placement, curing, and stripping of forms from the backwall and wingwall, while also finishing form work, rebar installation, and setting the abutment 2 expansion joint. Simultaneously, at Pleasant Cove, the team achieved several milestones, including the completion of excavation within the abutment 2 cofferdam, dynamic load testing, driving of all piles, placement of pile sleeves, and the initiation of rip-rap placement for the channel. Furthermore, they began form work and rebar installation for the breast wall.

 

January 2024

With no further work expected on the Station 46 superstructure until spring, workers have been continuing with removal of pre-load material and have completed form work and structural steel for the abutment 1 breast wall. Crews stripped forms for the abutment 1 backwall and completed the granular borrow backfill. They also began the cofferdam removal and resetting for phase 2 and began pre-welding pile splices for the abutment 2 piles. Material that washed off the new roadway, from the previous storms, was recovered and replaced.

Station 46 Bridge Updates 2023

December 2023

Work throughout December saw the continued formwork and rebar for the first half of the backwall and west wing wall. Workers began tying rebar for the superstructure and placed concrete for section 3 of the deck. Continued excavation at Pleasant Cove to complete setting sheets and frame to design elevations.

 

November 2023

Throughout November workers on the project completed the T-wall at abutment 1 and finished with the granular backfill. They began formwork and tying rebar. Work on the superstructure has seen the completion of bridge drains, with rebar work scheduled there for late this month. Workers at Pleasant Cove completed the installation of driving sheets and splicing piles.

 

October 2023

At Abutment 2, Reed & Reed initiated form work and rebar placement for the back wall. As for Structural Steel Span 2, they successfully completed the setting and torquing of beams and diaphragms. Additionally, work at Abutment 1 involved commencing the granular borrow backfill and the completion of the French drain installation, alongside the delivery of T-wall sections. In the superstructure, Reed & Reed accomplished the completion of deck forms for span 4 and continued their efforts on span 3. Reed & Reed began the installation of the T-wall and continued the granular borrow backfill. In the superstructure, they achieved the completion of deck forms for span 3 and advanced their work on span 2.

 

September 2023

Workers set bearings at pier 1. Work at abutment 1 saw the completed form work, tying rebar, and concrete placement for west wing wall. Completed removing forms of breast wall and east wing wall. Curing of West Wing Wall completed. Began removing cofferdam. At span 2 steel girders were set. At span 3 and 4 workers completed setting all girders, diaphragms, and torqued all connections.

 

August 2023

Work at Pier 1 saw the placement of concrete for the cap and pedestal forms, then set bearings. Abutment 1 work saw the continued setting of forms and rebar tying for the east half of the breast wall. At pier 2 shim plates were added to the bearings. Grouted in bearing anchor bolts and reset bearings, along with placed rip-rap around west wing wall of abutment 2. Prepping crane pads to begin setting steel for span 4 (pier 3 to abutment 2). Setting steel scheduled to begin 8/29. Mobilized third crane.

 

July 2023

Work at Pier 1 continued with setting forms and rebar for the cap and bearing pedestals. Work at Pier 2 involved completing the concrete placement, curing, and stripping form work for the cap. Work at abutment 1 saw concrete placed for the footing, began setting forms and tying rebar. At abutment 2 the concrete placement was completed.

 

June 2023

Work on Pier 1 saw completed form work and rebar for the pier shaft. Work at Pier 3 saw completed form work, rebar, and concrete placement for the pier cap. Workers stripped pier cap and bearing pedestal forms. At Abutment 2 workers completed driving sheets and began excavation. Final vacuuming and cleaning of ledge.

 

May 2023

Completed form work, rebar, and concrete placement for the footing at pier 1. The concrete has cured and formwork stripped. Continued form work and rebar for pier cap at pier 3. Set frames and began driving sheets for the cofferdam at abutment 2.

 

April 2023

Completed the form work, rebar, and concrete placement for the pier 3 shaft. Completed pier 2 seal placement. Removed cofferdam and continued placing rip-rap at abutment 2. Began work for pier 1 cofferdam. Repositioned the crane, mobilized sheet piles, and set frame. Completed installation of the Pier 1 cofferdam and began excavation. Completed dewatering and cleaning of the pier 2 seal placement, set forms for footing and began rebar work. Completed majority of rip-rap at abutment 2. Completed demo of crash wall at abutment 1, and next week the crane will be mobilized to that site to begin cofferdam work. Completed dynamic load testing and driving of all piles at Pier 1. Completed form work, rebar, and concrete placement for the shaft at Pier 2. Completed backfill within cofferdam in preparation for removing cofferdam next week at Pier 3.

 

March 2023

Reed & Reed continued the dynamic load testing at Pier 2 and completed setting & splicing piles. They also continued placing riprap around Abutment 2 and began work on the footing, formwork and rebar at Pier 3 before completing this concrete work. A granular borrow backfill was used at abutment 2, as well as the continued installation of formwork for the remaining bearing pedestals. Wyman & Simpson and their subcontractor are building the median diversion in preparation for the northbound closure of I-95, which is scheduled to begin in May. Construction of the diversion is about 80% complete. Webb Road is to be closed in early April so that the diversion work can be completed by May. The transition areas to I-95 of the diversion are currently being constructed.

 

February 2023

Reed & Reed completed the dynamic load testing, pile driving, and seal placement for Pier 3. Work on abutment two has proceeded, including formwork, rebar, and concrete. Granular borrow and French drains were installed at abutment 2. Work also involved excavation and the removal of pay rocks around abutment 2.

JP Carrara and Sons of Middlebury, VT is fabricating five NEBT beams for the Pleasant Cove Bridge. These will be the first stainless steel reinforced and stainless-steel strand beams in Maine and maybe the first in the country.

Station 46 Bridge Updates 2022

9/10/2022-12/2/2022

Reed & Reed worked on and completed removal of the existing Station 46 Bridge. This included saw cutting the existing concrete deck into sections and removing the sections with cranes and/or hammering it into pieces with excavators. Similarly the existing structure steel (beams, columns, etc.) were unbolted and/or cut and removed by crane/excavators. Keller North America Inc., a subcontractor for Reed & Reed, continued and completed installation of the wick drains on US Route 1 to the north of Station 46 Br. The instrumentation for settlement monitoring during the soil preloading for the US Route 1 roadway was installed on the US Route 1 roadway near George Wright Rd. Simultaneously with the instrumentation installation, Reed & Reed began installing the soil preload material (gravel) on US Route 1. The Bath Water District water main on the southern end of the project (Taste of Maine end) was relocated to make room for the new Sta. 46 Br. abutment 1. Reed & Reed began installation of the sheet pile cofferdams for the new Station 46 Br. substructure units, specifically for pier 3 and abutment 2 on the northern end of the new bridge. These cofferdams allow the contractor to work in a safe area that can be pumped dry of water and allow controlled excavation. The Abutment 2 footing will be formed and cast on bedrock. The pier 3 footing will be supported on steel H-piles, which will begin to be installed in the coming days once the installation of the cofferdam at pier 3 is completed.

8/17/2022-9/9/2022

Reed & Reed completed all work on the temporary Station 46 bridge including completing all steel work, setting all of the precast concrete deck panels, installing concrete barriers, and paving the roadway approaches leading up to the bridge. With the temporary roadway 100% complete, all Route 1 traffic was shifted onto the temporary roadway on 9/6/22. The approaches to the temporary Pleasant Cove Br. were shimmed to address the settlement around the structure and smooth out the transition onto the temp. bridge. Reed & Reed’s subcontractor Keller North America Inc. continues to work on installation of wick drains, which are part of the soil preloading operation for the existing US Route 1 roadway areas north of Station 46 Bridge.

7/15/2022-8/10/2022

Reed & Reed continued construction on the temporary station 46 bridge. The pile bent pier installations around the railroad tracks were completed with the steel beams spanning over the tracks to be installed soon. Work on the southernmost abutment for the temporary bridge began and has continued during this timeframe as well. Steel beams and concrete deck panels continue to be installed, connecting the completed pier bents, as the temporary bridge construction continues south towards the Taste of Maine Restaurant end of the project.

4/30/2022-5/20/2022

Reed & Reed completed the construction of the temporary pleasant cove bridge and continued construction on the temporary Station 46 bridge. Reed & Reed fine graded and is working on paving the temporary detour roadway between the existing Station 46 bridge, across the temporary Pleasant Cove bridge, to where it connects back to US Route 1 on the north end of the project. US Route 1 north of Station 46 bridge will be preloaded with up to 11 feet of material to force the roadway to settle, due to soft clays, in advance of permanently raising the finished grade of US Route 1 by up to 5 feet. This process is done to remove as much settlement on US Route 1 as possible, due to the additional weight of the permanently raised roadway, before it is opened back up to traffic. The temporary detour, north of Station 46 bridge is anticipated to be opened the first week of June so that work on the preloading can commence.

4/9/2022-5/2/2022

Reed & Reed completed the pipe pile driving and setting the cap for the Pleasant Cove south abutments, activated the lights at the Nequasset intersection, closed the south intersection of the George Wright Road and Route 1, and continued bringing gravel up to grade connecting the approach road to the south abutment of the Pleasant cove temporary (over the George Wright Road). Construction of the temporary Station 46 bridge continues towards the railroad with structural steel and concrete deck panels being installed.

3/5/2022-4/8/2022

Reed & Reed completed installation of temporary utility pad areas for the temporary relocation of the utility poles/lines. Temporary utility poles were installed in preparation for the first phase of the temporary utility line move. Reed & Reed continued installing temporary piling for the substructures of the temporary bridges. Construction of the pre-cast concrete deck slabs for the temporary bridges was completed, with a total of 212 slabs constructed. The installation of these slabs has begun on the temporary Pleasant Cove bridge. Construction of the temporary roadway continues to move south towards Station 46 Bridge and the railroad tracks.

2/14/2022-3/4/2022

Reed & Reed continued to pre-cast deck slabs for the temporary bridges and continued construction on the north abutment approach for the temporary Pleasant Cove bridge. Construction on the temporary roadway included an extension of the 96” reinforced concrete pipe under US Route 1, and pile driving for the temporary pile bent pier #2. The temporary traffic signals at the intersection of US Route 1 and Nequasset Rd. were also installed and covered to prepare for their use when traffic is eventually shifted onto the temporary roadway.

1/31/22 – 2/11/22

Reed & Reed is working on base gravel installation for the temporary roadway that will carry US Route 1 traffic through the area during construction. The temporary roadway will be located to the east of existing US Route 1. They are also working on constructing temporary deck panels for the temporary bridges included within the temporary roadway. Reed & Reed mobilized a crane to the project site to begin driving pile for the substructure of the temporary Pleasant Cove Bridge located through the ponded area near George Wright Rd.