Marine Parkway Bridge Truss Member Replacement

The Marine Parkway Bridge in New York, New York, spans Rockaway Inlet connecting the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. In 1970, the boom of a crane mounted on a barge crossing beneath the bridge struck the lower chords of the main vertical lift span causing severe damage. In addition, extensive member corrosion had occurred over the years necessitating replacement of some of the vertical truss members of the approach trusses. A detailed presentation of how these repairs were made is provided since little information is available in published literature on repair and replacement of major truss members under load. It is believed that documentation of the procedures utilized will be useful to other practicing engineers. The repairs to the lower chord members were accomplished by providing a temporary replacement member consisting of prestressed bars. The replacement of the vertical truss member was achieved by temporary replacement with hangers.