On the North Atlantic Seaboard, a 75-year-old weather-beaten steel bascule bridge spanned the Great Egg Harbor from the New Jersey mainland to the barrier island resort community of Ocean City. Here, coastal exposures entail corrosive salt water spray, strong currents, extreme tides, extensive scour, potential vessel impact, ocean storms, and potential hurricanes. As the last remaining evacuation route to the mainland during severe weather, the owners demanded a replacement bridge that embodied durability with minimal maintenance in this hostile marine environment. The resulting solution was a 26-span precast/prestressed concrete bridge using continuous spliced girders, cylinder piles, pile caps, and half-deck panels. Reducing the number of piers and lengthening spans over deep water were major design accomplishments. Two significant construction techniques developed were temporary tie-downs for spliced girder erection and precast concrete cofferdam tubs to form pier footings at water level.
