Another iconic New York bridge

The Queensboro Bridge will soon join the growing list of major New York bridge structures to be equipped with mageba expansion joints

Building on our experience of supplying expansion joint solutions for several of New York’s most spectacular bridge structures – including the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge and the new Tappan Zee Bridge, we are delighted to have now been given the opportunity to add another equally prestigious structure to this list: the Queensboro Bridge. The structure, officially titled the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, is a two-level double cantilever bridge over New York City’s East River that was completed in 1909. An ongoing major renovation of this critical structure includes the complete replacement of its upper deck, requiring the provision of new modular expansion joints at six axes. TENSA® MODULAR joints were selected for use, two at each axis, with up to eight individual movement gaps per joint to accommodate a maximum longitudinal movement of 24 inches (610 mm). As is often the case with heritage structures such as this, the task of designing and supplying replacement expansion joints for renovation work is not straightforward. In this case, the design of the expansion joints had to be substantially modified to suit the geometry of the bridge deck’s steelwork at each location – and to ensure flawless connections and avoid difficulties during installation on site, mageba is also supplying the connecting orthotropic deck panels. This special feature of the supply contract will also facilitate quick installation, minimizing impact on traffic.

The expansion joints and connecting deck panels will be fully assembled in mageba’s AISC-certified workshop in Pennsylvania before transporting to site. We are honoured, and grateful to New York City, to have been entrusted with the task of providing these key components for another of the city’s cherished landmarks.

Owner: New York City Department of Transportation
Designer: Thornton Tomasetti
Contractor: American Bridge

Design representation of a 3-gap TENSA®MODULAR joint as designed for the Queensboro Bridge

3D image of a 3-gap joint, showing the need to integrate its design into that of the connecting bridge deck panels

Cross section drawing showing close-up detail of the specially tailored connection of the expansion joint to the bridge deck panels at each side

The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge – world’s longest suspension bridge from 1964 until 1981 and vital New York City inter-borough connection

The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge: A fully installed mageba sliding finger joint, tailored to suit the bridge deck’s steelwork, with an extraordinary movement capacity of 2,700 mm (approx. 9 ft)

The Bayonne Bridge – world’s longest steel arch bridge from 1931 until 1976 – spans a stretch of water along which approx. 12% of all US-bound international container ships currently travel and required to have its deck raised to allow Post-Panamax ships to pass underneath

The Bayonne Bridge: Installation of TENSA®MODULAR expansion joints at some axes, with TENSA®FINGER expansion joints installed at others

The new Tappan Zee (Mario Cuomo) Bridge – one of the widest cable-stayed bridges in the world

The new Tappan Zee (Mario Cuomo) Bridge: Installation of an enormous 18-gap TENSA®MODULAR expansion joint – 29 m (95 ft) long and 3.5 m (12 ft) wide