Dehumidification—a suspension- cable technology well established in Europe and Japan—is finally making inroads in the U.S. The Maryland Transportation Authority recently completed a $53-million project to rewrap the main suspension cables and install a dehumidification system on both spans of the 4.3-mile-long William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge. The Delaware River and Bay Authority awarded to American Bridge a similar, $33.6-million contract that will begin next month.
Kiewit Infrastructure Co. late last year completed installation of the system on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, says Will Pines, MDTA deputy director of engineering. The work began in 2012, after the agency considered options for the aging cables on the 2,900-ft-long suspended east span, opened in 1952, and the parallel west span, opened in 1973.