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$31M Awarded for MD Bridge Job

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

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Liberty-Alpha III J.V., LLC, of Campbell, OH, has been awarded a $31,380,000 contract to clean and paint structural steel on the westbound portion of Maryland's Memorial Bay Bridge, over Chesapeake Bay.

The contract is the third in a series of four phases of painting work to be completed on the structure. Seven bids were received for the project, ranging from $31,380,000 to $61,847,210.

The bridge is officially known as the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bay Bridge after the governor of Maryland who initiated its construction. Construction on the westbound portion of the bridge began in 1969 and cost $148 million to complete. The bridge opened in June 1973.

Maryland Transportation Authority

Part of this $31 million project includes coating the exposed surfaces of 804 steel railing posts.

Scope of Work

The project includes coating exposed surfaces of all 804 steel railing posts and associated connection plates of 12 cantilevered deck truss spans. The limits of coating application include all internal surfaces of box-shaped members accessed through manholes, up to and including the exposed sides of the seal plates.

The project also includes replacing the bottom rail on both sides of the entire bridge, excluding the suspension spans and the through truss cantilever spans.

The existing steel will be abrasive blast cleaned to a Near-White finish (SSPC-SP 10), spot power-tool-cleaned to SP 11, and coated with the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA) Paint System C, which consists of an organic zinc-rich primer, an epoxy intermediate, and a polyurethane finish.

Containment is required to capture the existing lead-based coatings. A paint system warranty is also required. 

The project includes coating the new steel railing with the MDSHA System B, which consists of an inorganic zinc-rich primer, an epoxy intermediate, and a polyurethane finish. The project also includes performing miscellaneous structural repairs.

About the Contractor

Founded in 1984, Alpha Painting and Contracting specializes in lead-paint abatement from bridges, water tanks and industrial facilities.

The SSPC-QP 1 and QP-2 certified company has offices in Baltimore, MD, and New York, NY, but mobilizes and manages projects throughout the U.S.

Reported by Paint BidTracker, a construction reporting service devoted to identifying contracting opportunities for the coatings community.