New York State Department of Transportation Contract 1 Design-Build (ITS/ATMS) – Van Wyck Expressway Capacity and Access Improvements to John F. Kennedy Airport

This multi-disciplinary design-build project was the first of three contracts to improve the capacity of and access to VWE to JFK International Airport and included the replacement and retrofit of the superstructure and substructure on nine bridges over the VWE to prepare for the future widening of its mainline between Hoover Avenue and the southern end of Federal Circle. The project also included local roadway and intersection improvements to ensure ADA compliance, replacing and upgrading of traffic signals, ITS systems, water mains, private utilities, and relocation of two access ramps to the Van Wyck Expressway.

GPI was a major subconsultant to the Lead Designer and was the Engineer of Record (EOR) for three of the bridge retrofits and replacements, which also included intersection improvements at the service roads. GPI was also responsible for the landscape architecture of the corridor improvements as well as the total replacement of the ITS system along the VWE.  The final ITS design plans developed, replaced, and/or enhanced the roadways’ various ITS systems, which included CCTV, non-intrusive detection (Side fired radar), E-ZPass RFID Toll tag readers, local distribution and trunk fiber optic communications system, as well as power distribution for all the assets within the project limits.

Contract stipulations required that all equipment remain fully operational throughout the complex and multi-stage project. The team first had to perform an evaluation, inventory, and verification of the assets as they related to the various non-conforming record plans. Once this was accomplished and the record plans were updated, we then needed to assess the impacts of the improvements at each bridge location and other improvements along the project limits, such as new ramp locations, as well as lengthening of existing ramps. From the updated information and then analyzing the multiple stages and sequences of the work at each site, we developed site by site mitigation plans from which we then generated multiple sequenced ITS system plans to ensure that all equipment remained operational throughout the project and at the end yielded the overall desired final ITS deployment that met the requirements and expectations of NYSDOT.

To deliver the various designs, extensive coordination with NYCDEP, Port Authority AirTrain operations, OCMC, and private utilities were necessary.