River traffic

The Franklin D Roosevelt East River Drive hugs the eastern edge of Manhattan, carrying traffic from the Battery to the Triborough Bridge. Following many years of patching, the viaduct needed extensive rehabilitation. Normal repair procedures would have required lane closures; however, this would have caused major traffic delays on the heavily traveled FDR Drive. Unwilling to accept the consequence of any typical approach, the New York State Department of Transportation sought an alternative strategy that would replicate the traffic-carrying capacity of the lanes that would be closed during construction. DOT engineers decided to construct a separate three-lane detour structure that would extend 72 ft out into the river, allowing traffic to bypass the construction. Creating a fender system that would protect the outbound detour roadway demanded innovation by necessity, says Ed Schmeltz, a senior VP and the director of marine business for DMJM Harris in New York City.