Peace Bridge Authority formalizes contract award with American Bridge Company for Bridge Rehabilitation Project

The Board of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (Peace Bridge Authority) has awarded a construction contract to American Bridge Canada Company for the Peace Bridge Rehabilitation Project. The $80.5 million Peace Bridge Rehabilitation Project is one component of an overall $186 million, fully self-financed, five-year capital plan approved by the PBA Board.

“The Rehabilitation Project is a key part of the Peace Bridge Authority’s continuous effort to make passage between Western New York and Southern Ontario as efficient as possible,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo. “The selection of a contractor for the latest Peace Bridge improvements is an important step for ensuring a maximum flow of goods and traffic at the critical bi-national corridor border crossing.”

“The Rehabilitation Project will be a coordinated effort between both sides of the border to ensure completion with minimal impacts on motorists, tourists, bus passengers and commercial carriers,” said the Honourable Marc Garneau, Canada’s Minister of Transport. ” I am pleased to see this project moving forward on a bridge that is so important to the economies of both countries.”

The PBA identified the top priorities of overall project cost and maintaining operation of travel lanes when considering contractors. As part of bid submissions, contractors were required to submit the number of days within their schedule that they anticipated the bridge would experience less than three operational traffic lanes.

“Having worked on the Grand Island bridges, this contractor knows Western New York’s labour and materials markets, as well as our region’s environmental conditions,” said Sam Hoyt Chairman of the Peace Bridge Authority Board of Directors. “American Bridge Company is also a primary contractor on the new Tappen Zee Bridge and is well prepared to undertake the Rehabilitation Project, a project that will significantly contribute to our overall capital campaign objectives and the improvement of our span.”

“Work is scheduled to begin this month. However there will be no lane closures during the peak summer travel season,” said Ron Rienas General Manager of the PBA. “The earliest a lane closure will occur is in mid October.”

American Bridge Company was the low bidder and selected at a project cost of $80.5 million, and based on criteria including similar project experience with deck replacement, complex bridges and financial strength.

American Bridge Canada Company offers relevant, specific project experience with national and binational spans:

- Angus Macdonald Bridge Deck Replacement – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

- George Washington Bridge – New York, USA

- Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge – New York, USA; Ontario, Canada

- Seaway International Bridge – Ontario, Canada

- South Grand Island Bridges – New York, USA

- Tappan Zee Hudson River Crossing Project – New York, USA

- Walt Whitman Bridge – Philadelphia, USA

The company’s size, breadth of experience and their capabilities in fabrication and erection allow for efficiencies of cost, purchasing power and cross-disciplinary synergies to reduce overall project costs.

The Rehabilitation Project will include: complete replacement of the structural slab widening of the structure, including the addition of a pedestrian walkway/bikeway and observation platform, structural steel replacement, rehabilitation and strengthening; installation of electrical and fibre infrastructure; and the installation of new architectural traffic control gantries, railings and light posts.

In addition to the project itself, American Bridge Company will also be responsible for all construction management, including maintenance and protection of traffic on and under the Peace Bridge.

Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2016 and finished by 2019. Work will be completed in four stages.