$44M Branford Amtrak Bridge Widening Moves Forward

The Amtrak/J.F. White team closed traffic and pulled all-nighters at the Branford Amtrak Bridge on the weekends of July 13 and July 27 to move two major beams over West Main Street into permanent positions.

As fate would have it, the Q Bridge transition occurred over this past weekend as well. The Q Bridge north and southbound lanes were moved to one five-lane bridge until a second span bridge is created over the next three years that will eventually hold all southbound traffic. The transition finished up ahead of time. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be on hand at 2 p.m. today to give the official blessing to the opening of the southbound side. (The photos are from the first weekend’s work.)

Back in Branford, here’s the view approaching from Main Street toward Branhaven Plaza as the Amtrak team took another step toward completion of the $44 million widening of the railroad bridge that crosses over West Main Street.

This past weekend the mission was to move the two huge beams over West Main Street closer toward a center point. The beams were originally placed 30 feet apart. Once they are both lifted into place, they’ll be just 18 inches apart.

Shifting train traffic, the size of the beams, and the precision required made it a two-night affair. The beam facing toward the Main Street approach to the bridge was moved first.

It was a smooth, but precise operation, unlike the earlier drama of lifting and placing the new beams and removing the old ones, which dated from 1928 when the bridge was originally constructed.

The large hydraulic jacks from Bay Crane out of North Branford did the heavy lifting. They were put in place earlier and there was a pair on either end of the beam. Bob Murphy, vice-president of J.F. White, the general contractor, was on site, and explained that the jacks had a capacity of 550 tons. ​“The jacks ​‘roll and walk’,” he said. (Timothy Cooney, project manager of J.F. White, Timothy Goodridge, superintendent and Patrick Carufe of AI Engineering were part of the crew on hand.)

View of the hydraulic jack situated on its rail. 

The movement of the jacks was governed from a control box in the middle of the road, and a laser helped to maintain alignment.

The complexity of the jack is apparent in this up-close shot.

Looking toward Main Street, the beam has been partially moved.

The jacks had to lift the 460-ton beams with only about 10 inches of clearance. Complicating matters was the fact that the beams are not parallel; they’re sited diagonally across the road. And at 128 feet long, Murphy said, they’re the longest continuous beams in the state of Connecticut. In fact they could not be transported via I‑95 because they were so heavy.

The beam is guided to the concrete platform on which it will be bolted. (See top photo)

Just give it a little nudge!

For all the preparation, the movement of the beams was really slow and precise. If you weren’t paying attention you’d almost miss the action.

The work crew looked on.

Beforehand, Murphy explained, 200 tons of ballast (gravel) was removed from the track above the beam the night before to lighten the load. The trains for the time being are just running on a single track. (Hence, the acceleration in train whistles as they approach.) The trains were switched from one track to the other just before the second beam relocation.

Prior to the weekend action, Jan Pacanski, resident engineer, AI Engineers Inc., explained that moving and resetting the beams and prepping the tracks is a four-week process. He said that once the beams are in place, they’ll finish the drainage work along the north side of the bridge, then rip out and repave the road surface under the bridge. That should please travelers who have been experiencing bumpy conditions as they head into town.

By yesterday morning all was well and looking up at the beams you could see how much closer they are. The midnight work was now a part of the history of the project. 

Other Work

Wondering about all the work at the corner of West Main and Short Beach Road? Over the spring and summer, Pacanski said, elliptical drainage pipes were installed; they’re an impressive 10 feet long with an opening of 68 x 43 inches. A foundation for the traffic signal arm was also installed.

And the action in the middle of the road in front of Branhaven Shopping Center? That’s AT&T lowering utility conduits to accommodate the lower road.

The project has been ongoing since August 2009. However, Pacanski said completion is expected in October, about six months ahead of schedule.

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