Grove Spans Potomac With $2B Woodrow Wilson Bridge Job

Grove RT650E rough-terrain cranes are at work on the $2-billion Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge reconstruction project. The bridge carries busy Interstates 495 and 95 across the Potomac River from Maryland to Virginia just outside Washington, D.C. The $125.4-million foundation contract is a joint venture between Tidewater Skanska, Kiewitt and Clark. The substructure consists of 24-in. (61 cm) concrete piles and 48- to 72-in. (122 to 183 cm) pipe piles up to 209 ft. (64 m) in length. The Grove RT650Es are used for a wide range of lifting jobs including unloading trucks, form work, handling reinforcing steel and feeding piles to the driver. Work in the Maryland side included erecting the conveyor system for concrete placement. Jay Erwin, project superintendent for Tidewater said, &#8220;We started on the project this June and plans are to be here until April of 2003. We rented the Grove RT650Es from J. W. Burress as our past experience with them and other Grove cranes has been very positive. The Groves are doing everything expected of them and then some.&#8221; The Grove RT650E is a 50-ton (45 t) capacity rough-terrain crane with a 105-ft. (32 m) main boom. The Tidewater units are equipped with a 29- to 51-ft. (8.8 to 15.5 m) telescoping swingaway which offsets to 45 degrees. Maximum tip height is 162 ft. (49.3 m). Grove&#8217;s all-wheel drive is standard as well as four-mode steering which allows the operator to select front-only, rear-only, crab or coordinated steering for maneuverability in tight quarters. For more information, call 717/597-8121 or visit www.groveworldwide.com.