T.Y. Lin International Announces Grand Opening of Historic, Newly-Retrofitted North Torrey Pines Road Bridge in Del Mar, CA

T.Y. Lin International (TYLI), a globally recognized full-service infrastructure consulting firm, announces the completion of the North Torrey Pines Road Bridge retrofit project in Del Mar, California, an event which was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 15, 2014. TYLI was responsible for all Construction Management services for the project for the City of Del Mar, the project owner. This included providing a full-time Resident Engineer, Structures Representative, Bridge, Roadway and Underground Inspectors, and an Office Engineer. TYLI planned all construction work in stages to ensure limited interruptions to the travelling public or the railroad. This included moving traffic partially onto a temporary structure, which was built on the side of the existing structure and relocated for each stage of construction.

A grand example of Depression-era bridge architecture, the North Torrey Pines Road Bridge spans over 550 feet along coastal Highway 101. The bridge, which was constructed in 1933 and is on the California Register of Historical Resources as well as a City of Del Mar Historic Landmark, had deteriorated to the point of receiving the lowest sufficiency rating of any bridge in San Diego County. The City of Del Mar and its design team, working in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), developed a retrofit strategy to preserve the aesthetic features of the structure while creating a safer environment for the public.

“The City of Del Mar greatly appreciates how the T.Y. Lin International construction management team took the leadership role on this important project,” said Joseph L. Bride, P.E., Del Mar’s Deputy Director of Public Works. “The team proactively engaged stakeholders throughout this challenging project, quickly responding to design modifications, resolving issues, and reducing bridge construction impacts on our residents.”

As Construction Manager, TYLI supervised multiple specialty subconsultants that performed materials testing, environmental and cultural monitoring, noise monitoring and mitigation, surveying, specialty deep foundation testing, railroad coordination, cathodic protection inspection, and storm water pollution prevention plan monitoring and management. In addition, the firm performed a detailed constructability review, working with the designer prior to bid to refine bid documents in order to help eliminate potential change orders or claims that could have arisen during construction.

Retrofit of the structure included the complete removal and replacement of the superstructure with precast girders to architecturally match the existing structure, as well as the removal and replacement of much of the substructure cover concrete and confinement reinforcing. New abutments were placed on deep, large diameter, cast-in-drilled-hole concrete piles. The bridge was also cathodically protected from future corrosion.

The North Torrey Pines Road Bridge project recently received a 2014 Project Achievement Award - Award of Excellence, Transportation, $5-15 Million - from the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), San Diego Chapter. TYLI joined the City of Del Mar in accepting the award at the CMAA-San Diego Annual Awards Banquet on April 10, 2014.