The Gateway Avenue Grade Separation project is in the midst of placing girders on spans 1 and 3, a critical milestone and one that connects the center span of the bridge to the roads leading up to the bridge on either side. All eight girders of “span 3”, which range in length from 65 to 70 feet, were successfully placed last week. POV-P19_gateway-span_012103

The eight girders of span 1, which are much larger at nearly 154 feet long, were placed the following day. The girders were delivered by truck via Gateway Avenue. The project, which is projected for completion in May 2013, builds an overpass that separates vehicle traffic from train traffic below. The new bridge will allow cars and trucks to travel over the port’s growing internal rail corridor while accessing two of the port’s five marine terminals.

Future project work includes constructing a bridge “deck”, traffic barriers, sidewalks, railings and electrical work. Final paving, pavement marking (striping) and seeding of exposed soil areas will complete the project.