QUIKRETE® Helps Repair New Jersey Landmark

Words: John Turner/Public/News/20110614132000-1.jpg" width="600" height="338" border="0" alt="QUIKRETE® Rapid Road Repair — Extended was used to repair the Pulaski Skyway." />
QUIKRETE® Rapid Road Repair — Extended was used to repair the Pulaski Skyway.
From the moment it opened more than 75 years ago, the Pulaski Skyway was an engineering marvel and became a landmark of “The Garden State.”

But, after decades of road wear, including damage from salt and harsh New Jersey winters, the deck developed significant cracks, potholes and hollow areas, rendering the iconic bridge in desperate need of repair. So, the New Jersey Department of Transportation turned to general contractor Gardner M. Bishop, Inc. and The QUIKRETE® Companies as trusted partners.

Because the 3.5-mile-long elevated structure is such a heavily-traveled thoroughfare, carrying more than 67,000 vehicles every day, the bridge must remain open for commuter traffic, especially during rush hours. That means crews can only close the road at night to make the much-needed repairs.

“Thousands of commuters rely on the Pulaski Skyway as part of their daily commute, limiting the ability to close the road for extended periods,” said John Turner, QUIKRETE® regional sales manager. “With only a few hours available each night for repairs, crews need a product that demonstrates rapid strength gain so they can complete their work and reopen the road in time for morning commuters.”

After locating the areas requiring repair, crews removed up to two inches of the bridge deck. They then used QUIKRETE® Rapid Road Repair — Extended, a fast-setting repair material specifically designed for use on bridge decks, concrete highways and other industrial structures.

Made from a special blended cement with carefully graded aggregates to provide a permanent patch, QUIKRETE® Rapid Road Repair — Extended also contains alkali resistant (AR) glass fibers for improved performance essential for applications involving severe vibration such as bridge deck repairs.

Because the mix is pre-extended with stone, no jobsite measuring is required. This allows crews to make consistent repairs and reduce the amount of preparation time needed, enabling them to complete their work within the time constraints of the project.

“There’s seldom an ideal time to close such a busy skyway, but ongoing maintenance and major repairs are vitally important to keep high-traffic, historic bridges functioning for today’s commuters,” Turner said. “By using QUIKRETE® Rapid Road Repair — Extended, workers can finish their work quickly, and when all of the necessary repairs are completed, the Pulaski Skyway will continue to stand the test of time and serve commuters for decades to come.”

To date, crews have repaired more than 90,000 square feet of deteriorated bridge deck using QUIKRETE® Rapid Road Repair — Extended. The multi-million dollar project, which started in September 2010, was completed in early 2011.
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