New Concrete Problem Found at Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Inspections have found deteriorating concrete on the underside of the deck of one of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge's two parallel spans, Maryland Dept. of Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan says. The department said on Dec. 22 that full-depth replacement of deck sections may be necessary. Flanagan said the bridge is safe for vehicles. "Our experts have confirmed that the closely spaced grid of steel rebar that makes up the backbone of the bridge is in good condition," he said.
The inspection was requested by a outside review panel that Flanagan established this fall to investigate another problem from a resurfacing project on the 4.3-mile-long westbound span. In the spring, inspectors saw widespread cracking in some sections of the bridge's deck. The department says the new, micro silica concrete overlay didn't bond properly to the substrata and delamination occurred. It says that analysis so far hasn't indicated any connection between the overlay problem and the deck underside's deterioration.