Opened in 1921 and first known as the Wurts Street Bridge, the Kingston-Port Ewen Suspension Bridge serves motorists crossing the Rondout Creek in Kingston, N.Y., about an hour south of Albany.
Over the years, the bridge has suffered from a lack of proper maintenance. There was severe corrosion on the anchorage eyebars and the hardware connecting the ropes to the bridge’s trusses.
The deck, which was last replaced in the 1970s, posed a significant risk to the bridge’s stability. The joints between the panels had deteriorated, leading to spalling and exposing the underlying floor beams to further corrosion.
The bridge’s load posting was continuously lowered until it was eventually closed in September 2020.
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Region 8 assembled a team that included Modjeski and Masters as the lead engineering consultant, and Wurts Bridge Construction, LLC, which executed the rehabilitation work.
Modjeski and Masters tackled the design phase and provided technical support during construction, which was completed in four, full-width stages with no other staging required.
For balancing the historical preservation of this structure while updating it with modern requirements, this project earned the No. 5 spot on our list of top bridges of the year.
The team worked with historical preservation groups to carefully integrate the safety upgrades while maintaining the aesthetic elements of the structure. It serves as a unique example of early 20th-century suspension bridge engineering.
“The bridge is very important to the local community and serves as the centerpiece for the local Rondout Historic District,” said Blaise Blabac, P.E. and senior project manager at Modjeski and Masters.
During the design phase, the team used LiDAR scanning and field measurements to get the precise data on the structure. Finite element analysis was also used to see how the bridge would act under various loads and conditions.
The construction goals were to address the structural issues of the bridge while enhancing its longevity.
On average, the bridge carries approximately 5,000 vehicles per day. A short detour was set up and construction began.
All of the 114 suspenders were replaced, the main cable anchorages were reconstructed and the eyebars were strengthened while preserving the historical integrity of the bridge.
Lightweight concrete was used for the new deck. Replacing the deck was a strategic endeavor to make sure the stress in the stiffening truss and stability of the suspension system were maintained at all times.
Corrosion presented a challenge to the rehabilitation of the main cable anchorages. The existing anchorages were supplemented with rock anchors and a jacking beam system that transferred part of the load from the corroded eyebars to the new anchors.
The jacking beam system was crucial in rehabilitating this bridge. It allowed the construction team to control the load transfer from the old eyebars to the new rock anchors and jacking beams.
New ADA-compliant sidewalks, decorative lighting and a dehumidification system for the anchorages were also installed. The dehumidification system would prevent further corrosion while extending the life of the anchorages.
The bridge opened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic on July 2, 2024. The design will hold up for another 50 years until any maintenance needs to be done to it, according to Blabac.
The historic Wurts Street Bridge will be open for years to come, preserving a legacy of craftsmanship, forward-thinking and community.
Project: Wurts Street Bridge Rehabilitation
Location: Kingston, N.Y.
Owners: New York State Department of Transportation Region 8
Designer: Modjeski and Masters, KS Engineers
Contractor: Wurts Street Bridge Constructors, LLC
Cost: $49.7 Million
Length: 1,145 Feet
