The GW Bridge connects the Upper West Side of New York City to Fort Lee, NJ. It is a suspension bridge with 3,500’ of Main Span, a total length of 4,760’ and a Height of 604’ above the Hudson River. The Bridge has a total of 14 Lanes (8 Upper Deck, 6 Lower Deck) and is maintained by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

JPCL Engineering was hired to perform the Biennial Inspection of the George Washington Bridge for the year 2017 as an Assistant Team Leader. Prior to the inspection, Load Rating analysis was done to declare the bridge fit for Inspection and verify if the bridge can withstand all the Dead and Live Loads.

‍

The work included inspection of the Bridge and its entry/exit connections from Foundation to the Deck, Floor beam, Stringers, Stiffeners, underside of decks, and various other components. The previous biennial inspection reports were reviewed for changes occurred during the two-year period and updated with the new findings. The Anchorage of the Bridge Cables was inspected for New Jersey & New York Towers and inspection of all stringers and pedestals was carried out by visual and physical inspections. The suspender cables were inspected for corrosion and broken strands from the Lower Level using a 60’/85’ truck.

The Sign Structures on the bridge were visually inspected with a closer look on its current condition and the supports provided for it. The Light Poles, Sidewalk and Rail Posts on both levels were also inspected. The findings, including priority repairs were reported with On-Site Photos and AutoCAD Drawings.

The inspection report was prepared as per NYSDOT, NJDOT & PANYNJ requirements with condition rating for the Bridge as per NBIS and AASHTO Regulations.