PAINTING THE WALT WHITMAN BRIDGE

With a total length of 11,981 feet and average daily traffic (ADT) of 120,000 vehicles, the Walt Whitman Bridge has a 2,000-foot-long main span, making it the 10th largest suspension span in the US and 27th in the world. In 2015, after completing the deck replacement of the suspension spans, the Delaware River Port Authority let their largest painting contract ever -- over $57,000,000 to blast and paint the entire suspension span including the complete interior and exterior of the towers, deck support steel in the anchorages, suspension cables and various steel repairs. A construction monitoring contract was also awarded on a qualification-based selection. This article is a case study describing the skills that were required for the construction and engineering team, as well as unadvertised skills such as dealing with the nesting Peregrine falcons and the complexities of traffic control on a high-ADT bridge under containment.