About this Project
LKB was retained by Westchester County Department of Public Works to provide design and construction support services for roadway, drainage and safety improvements on 4.4 miles of the Bronx River Parkway from the Bronx/Westchester border to Scarsdale Road. LKB developed construction contract documents for the work associated with the rehabilitation, which required creative solutions for construction due to the age of the roadway. Construction of the Bronx River Parkway began in the early 20th century and the parkway was first opened to traffic in 1922. The parkway has witnessed numerous design improvements; however, many of the existing features are aged. The serpentine horizontal alignment has maintained its character through the years and the parkway’s close proximity to the Bronx River results in recurring flooding during major rain events.
During construction of the proposed improvements for this project, many construction issues were encountered arising mainly because of the age of the parkway and the challenges of attempting to rehabilitate this section of the parkway to meet current design standards. One major challenge was the unique limits of the project, which lie within a well-developed area that includes a heavily traveled 4.4-mile segment of the Bronx River Parkway. The project limits include a six-lane roadway section and a four-lane roadway section of the parkway, with historical concrete frame bridges graced with stone facades carrying their respective roadways over the parkway. As the available space under these bridges was limited, LKB proposed a design to maximize available space for vehicular traffic while maintaining safety for the traveling public. This was achieved by transitioning the heavy post blocked-out (HPBO) corrugated beam median guiderail to a smaller profile box beam median guiderail and tightening up the post spacing for the box beam median guiderail to minimize the deflection distance. It should also be noted that although the length of the initial project was 4.4 miles long, the project was split into two separate contracts with the interchange of the Bronx River Parkway and the Cross County Parkway serving as the approximate dividing line between the two contracts. The separate contracts progressed with the services of two separate contractors performing simultaneous construction activities that required extensive communication and scheduling coordination to avoid potential conflicts and/or delays.
Improvements included pavement repairs, milling and resurfacing, filling and sealing cracks, adjusting and repairing of catch basins including replacement of existing frames and grates, and curb replacement. The project also entailed the replacement/upgrade of traffic signal loops and the incorporation of a Roadway Weather Information System. Drainage improvements to address periodic flooding in the vicinity of Oak Street, Palmer Road and Pondfield Road were also included. Safety improvements included shoulder widening, pavement resurfacing, new pavement markings, and improved signing and lighting. Existing retaining walls located between Palmer Road and Pondfield Road were inspected and rehabilitated as needed. Improvements to guiderail and median barrier included the installation of 30,000 linear feet of new guiderail and 14,000 linear feet of median barrier as well as numerous end terminals and end assemblies providing protection from fixed objects and unsafe conditions such as: bridge abutments, overhead sign structures, cantilever sign structures, specimen trees, rock outcrops, crossing streams, untraversable slopes, and traffic signal poles. In addition to guiderail related installations, the design of multiple impact attenuator systems were included in the safety improvements for the project.
LKB’s construction support services during the construction phases included review and approval of detailed shop drawings, catalog cuts, and miscellaneous submittals for compliance with contract documents; review and responses to RFI’s (Request for Information) and Change Order Requests; and attendance of progress and project meetings, as necessary.
Location
Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Bronxville and Tuckahoe, NY
Client
Westchester County Department of Public Works
Completion
2022
