The 1955-vintage Roosevelt Island Bridge connecting the East River isle to Queens is set to get a full-scale $86.5 million rehabilitation.

The 35-month project, set to begin this year, entails a total refurbishment of both the main bridge and the approaches, including replacement of the bridge deck, cables, lifting machinery, and other elements. The project also involves replacing the approach bearings with seismic bearings.

The New York City Department of Transportation hired Skanska USA Civil of Whitestone, N.Y., as contractor late last year. The effort will take place in stages to minimize disruption to traffic.

The 1,300-ft-long lift-span bridge crosses the river’s East Channel with two vehicle lanes and a pedestrian walkway.

Roosevelt Island, considered part of New York County, is only connected to Manhattan by cable car and subway.

After a Dec. 20 RFP deadline came and went with no bidders, the Connecticut Department of Transportation is heading back to the drawing board to revive plans for its $400 million plan to build a new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge for Interstate 95.

The agency had put out the RFP in spring 2006 seeking contractors to build the new 10-lane bridge that will replace an existing bridge of the same name. The project is known as the “Q-Bridge” because it crosses the Quinnipiac River in New Haven.

While various firms had participated in prebid meetings, the agency was not expecting the RFP result.

“It was a surprise to the department that there were no bids,” says Judd Everhart, a Connecticut DOT spokesman.

Now, the transportation department is gathering information that it can use to prepare a new bid, though Everhart says it is unclear whether there will be significant changes. The agency recently sent letters to a number of prospective bidders seeking their comments.

“We are soliciting input from a number of firms to get feedback on how better to structure the next bid specs for an RFP, and we’ll use that to put together the next set of bid specs,” he adds. “There’s no timetable yet for issuing the new one. Certainly we expect it to be later this year.”

The design by San Francisco-based URS Corp., calls for construction of the first extradosed bridge in the country, incorporating elements of segmental girder and cable-stayed designs previously used on bridges in Japan. The technique would allow the bridge to incorporate a 500-ft main span while using towers as low as 64 ft in height, thereby not obstructing the flight path of nearby Tweed New Haven Regional Airport.

The bridge was originally bid out with either a concrete or steel option for construction, according to Stu Stolfi, who manages URS’s Rocky Hill, Conn., office.

Once a contract is awarded and work begins, the project is expected to take seven years to complete.

“This has clearly delayed both the start and the completion,” Everhart says.

The Trenton-Morrisville Bridge, a 12-span toll bridge that carries two northbound and three southbound lanes of U.S. Route 1 between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is set for a $100 million makeover. 

The 1,324-ft-long bridge is scheduled for various improvements, including installation of a northbound auxiliary lane and noise wall, as part of the 44-month project. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is the owner, and it hired Hill International of Marlton, N.J., to provide construction management and inspection services. The design engineer for the project is the Louis Berger Group of East Orange, N.J., and the general contractor is Conti Construction of South Plainfield, N.J.