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JMT and Parsons get a Nice Bridge contract in the US state of Maryland

In the US state of Maryland, a joint venture of Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) and Parsons Brinckerhoff has won a contract to replace the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge. The Maryland Transportation Authority awarded the $1 billion contract to replace the bridge, also known as the Potomac River Bridge and which was opened in 1940. The tolled 2.7km two-lane continuous truss bridge on US 301 spans the Potomac River between Newburg in Maryland and Dahlgren in the state of Virginia. Construction of the
July 7, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSIn the US state of Maryland, a joint venture of Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (1309 JMT) and 2693 Parsons Brinckerhoff has won a contract to replace the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge.

The Maryland Transportation Authority awarded the $1 billion contract to replace the bridge, also known as the Potomac River Bridge and which was opened in 1940. The tolled 2.7km two-lane continuous truss bridge on US 301 spans the Potomac River between Newburg in Maryland and Dahlgren in the state of Virginia.

Construction of the new bridge is expected to start between 2020-2025, with completion within five years.

The JMT/Parsons Brinckerhoff joint venture will provide comprehensive programme management for preliminary engineering, final design and construction management and inspection.

Work includes determining bridge type - cable-stayed, concrete segmental or other – and project delivery method. A tolling study will be conducted to determine optimal toll operations and a study will be done focusing on financial and funding analyses as well as risk, financial and project management plans.

The old bridge is narrow, with both lanes only 3.4 m wide and with no shoulders. It is also steep with a gradient of nearly 4%. Traffic bottlenecks occur because the approach roads on either side are four-lane, resulting in slow traffic as it merges down to the bridge’s two lanes.

A 2012 planning phase report by the Maryland’s Transportation Authority said a new bridge will provide four 3.6m lanes, two 1.2m inside shoulders, two 3.6m outside shoulders, a median barrier to separate opposing flows and a single barrier-separated, two-way bicycle/pedestrian path.

The new bridge will be built beside the old bridge which would be demolished, the report concluded.

WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff is as global engineering consultancy employing around 32,000 people in 39 countries.

Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, founded in 1971, is an employee-owned firm providing engineering, architectural and related services to clients in the United States. JMT has more than 1,100 professionals working on projects in the transportation, buildings & facilities, water/wastewater, energy, Federal and information technology sectors.

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