Board OKs $123,450 Pierre Lane bridge fix

Port Washington’s Pierre Lane bridge is not in danger of collapsing into Sauk Creek, and the city would just as soon keep it that way.

The Board of Public Works this month approved a bid to repair the bridge.

City Engineer Roger Strohm presented slides that showed damage to the bridge, including exposed rebar and “a little bit of cracking on some of the beams.”

Strohm recommended the bridge have structural work done to address surface deterioration to improve and extend its life.

The city received three bids, “so I was happy with that,” Strohm said.

Zenith Tech of Waukesha came in as the low bidder with $123,450.

Norcon Corp. of Weston bid $135,405 and TMI Coatings of Sheboygan bid $197,635.

Strohm recommended Zenith Tech’s bid and said the company is well known and qualified for the job.

“They’ll be putting in some sacrificial anodes so that any future corrosion will attack those anodes rather than our reinforcement,” Strohm said.

In addition, he said, “exposed reinforcement will get fiber wrapped so it’s protected and a surface of concrete is going to go over everything so it gets the standard two to three inches of cover over the rebar.”

No work will be done on the surface, Strohm said. Everything will be done below the deck.

Newly named Chairman Mike Gasper asked if the bridge will be closed during construction.

“I would expect maybe just one lane closure so they can move stuff underneath there,” Strohm said. “There really shouldn’t be any problem with traffic using the bridge while work is going on other than just moving equipment materials down below the bridge.”

Zenith didn’t provide a start date, but Strohm said the contract called for the job being completed by the end of the year.

“It should be a relatively quick project once they start. My personal bias is hopefully it’s later in the fall so I can get other projects finished,” Strohm said.

Gasper noted that an earlier time frame would work better.

“A lot of school buses use that bridge so if we’re down to one lane, that could be problematic when school starts,” he said.

“That’s good to note,” Strohm said.

Ald. Pat Tearney asked if the project was already budgeted for. Strohm said it was and the bid came in under budget.

Ald. Mary Lou Mueller asked what would happen if the city did nothing.

“If we did nothing, this would continue to erode like this and what happens when the reinforcement corrodes like that, it expands and starts popping out concrete,” Strohm said.

“Eventually it would lead to bridge failure. Now is that going to happen in the next six months or a year? No.”

The Board of Public Works made sure it wouldn’t happen at all. The project was unanimously approved. The vote was 4-0. Cam Pauli and Jason Wittek were absent.