Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning Amityville Active Transportation Study

The original Blue Water Bridge, opened to traffic in October 1938, established the critical gateway linking the United States and Canada. In 1997, the second Blue Water Bridge span was opened to traffic. The original bridge now carries three lanes of westbound traffic, and the second bridge carries three lanes of eastbound traffic. The original bridge is a cantilever truss bridge with a total length of 6,178 feet and a main span of 871 feet. The second, newer bridge is a continuous bowstring arch bridge measuring 6,109 feet with a main span of 922 feet.

GPI provided quality assurance services for the re-painting of the US section of the east bound Blue Water Bridge, which is jointly owned and maintained by the United States and Canada. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is the lead US agency overseeing the maintenance and operation of the bridge. This project was the first phase of a 10-year $750M plaza reconstruction project for MDOT.

GPI was involved in the full removal of all existing paint by abrasive blasting, followed by the application of a 3-coat (zinc, epoxy, urethane) system designed to provide 25 years of service provided a coatings maintenance program is utilized by the owner.

The GPI team involved AMPP-certified coatings inspectors on-site for the duration of the painting project. Our inspectors provided quality assurance for the owner to ensure all the work is completed in accordance with the contract documents.