District 8-0 Linda Atkinson Golden Hammer Award for Excellence
We are thrilled to announce that the SR 116 bridge superstructure replacement project over a Codorus Creek Tributary in York, PA, has been honored with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 8-0 Linda Atkinson Golden Hammer Award in the less than $5 million category! Named in honor of Linda Atkinson, an admired civil engineer supervisor with PennDOT’s Bureau of Construction and Materials Quality Assurance Division, she spearheaded the creation of the Golden Hammer Award for District 8 construction project excellence.
The SR 116 project is a shining example of how effective collaboration and innovative problem-solving can lead to outstanding results. JBC Project Manager Brian Moore, PE, led the project’s construction management team. With exceptional collaboration from the District 8-0 team, RK&K, Kinsley Construction, and multiple key stakeholders, the SR 116 project was completed six months ahead of schedule and under budget.
Project Overview
The SR 116 bridge superstructure replacement project included the removal of the existing superstructure and portions of the abutments, the installation of new beam seats, ten prestressed box beams, and a new concrete bridge deck and parapets. The original bid amount for the project was $1,884,000, but thanks to efficient management and strategic planning, the final contract amount is expected to be approximately $35,000 less.
Overcoming Utility Challenges
One of the significant challenges faced during the project was the presence of active utility lines on the existing bridge. Verizon’s fiber lines and Columbia Gas’s lines were located on the fascia beams, complicating the replacement process. Verizon temporarily relocated their duct bank to facilitate the Phase 2 portion of the bridge replacement. However, the underground portion of their relocation conflicted with the guiderail installation on both approaches. A field meeting with Verizon led to a collaborative solution. The team decided to modify the duct bank support brackets on the newly constructed bridge, allowing the duct bank to be installed at a lower elevation. This adjustment provided enough slack in the cables to realign the underground portion of the conduit, resolving the conflict with the guiderail posts. Kinsley, the project’s Contractor, went above and beyond by providing steel beams from their yard and utilizing their crane to assist Verizon with the duct bank realignment.
Lessons Learned and Applied
The proactive approach to resolving the Verizon utility conflict proved invaluable. The Department and Contractor demonstrated outstanding communication and coordination in addressing the issues that arose. The lessons learned were applied to the Phase 3 Columbia Gas relocation, ensuring that similar issues were not encountered. This foresight and adaptability minimized delays and kept the project on track.
Innovative Rephasing
The original design of the project anticipated construction in three main phases. Early in the project, Kinsley proposed to the Department a more efficient two-phase construction plan. This proposal involved eliminating the middle phase, which required coordination with the design team and Traffic Unit to modify traffic control details. The rephasing resulted in significant time savings, reduced costs due to the elimination of traffic control items for the third phase, and improved project quality by eliminating a longitudinal joint in the bridge deck.
A Model of Success
The SR 116 bridge replacement project is an example of how project teams can overcome challenges by working together to achieve a common goal and how continuously looking for opportunities to more efficiently reach those goals can save time and money while at the same time enhancing quality. At JBC Associates, we are proud to have been a part of this exemplary project team.
→ Feb 4, 2025
