Route 22 Redesign 
Edited by: Alan Zimmerman 

Route 22 in Union Township, NJ is receiving a new look. This new project will replace the existing bridges carrying Route 22 eastbound and Route 22 westbound over Route 82 located between the Garden State Parkway Exit 140 and Exit 140B, which are in poor condition and will be coordinated with other infrastructure work currently being completed on the Parkway. Improvements and construction will cover a wide area of Route 22, east and westbound, Route 82 (Morris Ave.), as the purpose of this undertaking is to improve the operations of Route 22 and Route 82, helping traffic flow more smoothly and improving safety, especially with the lane crossovers being eliminated in the new design.  

Union Township is a highly dense town that sits just west of Newark, NJ. It is home to over 60,000 residents and that number continues to grow, explaining why this project is much needed. Joseph M Sanzari Inc, who specializes in highway and heavy construction, have completed this project for the updated infrastructure of Route 22. To complete this project, Joseph M Sanzari Inc will be using an ICE® 44 Vibratory hammer to help remove and set up piles for the new bridges and exit ramps. The piles will be hammered into the bedrock for the foundation to be set, following the completion of the new overpasses. The $40.8 million state-funded project will also include the installation of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) with camera installations and a digital message sign along with an upgraded storm water drainage system. The project is anticipated to be completed in summer 2024.  

International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) is thrilled to be a part of such an important plan of action serving the thousands of commuters and residents in Union Township, NJ with their transportation needs. Fantastic work Joseph M Sanzari Inc and thank you for choosing ICE®!  

Learn more about the ICE® 44E  

Media Contact-         
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA         
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations      

Vice President IT and IT Comm      
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc         
Office - 704-821-8200         
Email - marketing@iceusa.com   

Replacing the Historic Black Hawk Bridge
$140M Mississippi River bridge reconstruction project will change landscape of Lansing  
Edited by: Debbie Reaney

A new bridge is being developed to replace the cantilever bridge called the Black Hawk Bridge, named after Chief Black Hawk in Lansing, IA., one of the most unique historic bridges in the country. The key detail is the fact that the suspended span of the bridge is only connected at the bottom with no connection (visual or structural) to the top chord of the suspended span, making it quite unique and giving it a distinctive appearance. This historic structure has served the area since 1931, with a brief closure from 1945 to 1957 when the crossing was damaged by ice jams. Depreciation over time and changing vehicle size and traffic patterns now call for a new, wider and safer crossing, according to the Iowa (Iowa DOT) and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation (WisDOT).  

Federal funding will cover approximately 80 percent of the new bridge's $140 million cost and the states of Iowa and Wisconsin will evenly split the remaining costs. The new bridge has been designed to mimic the look of the existing bridge while increasing safety and drivability After the construction crews settle in, you should see the new bridge gradually rise out of the water as each piece is finished from deep below the muddy Mississippi riverbed to the tall peaks of the new steel truss. 

Kraemer North America, LLC, a full-service heavy civil contractor headquartered in Plain, WI was awarded the bid for this task. With a reputation for safety, quality, and excellence as a technical builder in transportation, rail, and marine markets Kraemer was the perfect choice for this project. On Nov. 2, 2023, crews began work on the new bridge, with a concrete roadbed next to the current one, which will eventually be demolished. The Iowa DOT says safety and traffic corrections top the list of justifications for the bridge rebuild. Today's Black Hawk Bridge only has 21' (Ft) of space across both lanes with no shoulders, as well as difficult exits and low structural ratings that limit commercial freight crossings, making this project extremely important to the safety and growth of the area. 

Every bridge starts with a strong foundation and to accomplish this, Kraemer North America is using a rented ICE® 110 Vibratory Driver/Extractor with 15' (Ft) beam to drive 9 ½' (Ft) & 10 ½' (Ft) caissons to varying depths of 80-120' (Ft). In late February they will start driving 13 ½' (Ft) caissons some up to 150' (Ft)! Due to the variable soils in the area, the professionals at Kraemer are also implementing an ICE® 200 Vibratory Hammer to further drive to tip. The new steel through-truss bridge will be 180 '(Ft) tall by 1,352' (Ft) (about half the height of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world) long, compared to the current bridge that is 165' (Ft) tall and 1,152' (Ft) (about the height of the Empire State Building) long. Making this new bridge 15' (Ft) taller at its highest point than its predecessor. The foundations of the new bridge will also be driven nearly three times deeper than the existing structure. 

Congratulations on an amazing job so far, Kraemer North America! Even with the many challenges brought on by weather, water flow and soil variations, the experts at Kraemer have not been daunted and the project has continued to move forward; on time and on budget. Bravo to the entire Kraemer team for their hard work and dedication to building a structure that is sure to provide safe, reliable travel, as well as economic growth in the Lansing area for the next 100 years. 

Learn more about the ICE® 110 Vibratory Driver/Extractor and the ICE® 200C

Media Contact-         
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA         
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations       

Vice President IT and IT Comm      
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc         
Office - 704-821-8200         
Email - marketing@iceusa.com     

Drainage Repair In Flushing
Edited by: Alan Zimmerman

Flushing, Queens is arguably one of New York City's most visited and traveled neighborhoods. Home to 180,000 people, it has much to offer for residents and visitors. Attractions include Citi Field, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and the Queens Zoo. It also includes the largest Chinatown and houses over 30,000 individuals that have immigrated from China directly.  This makes Flushing the biggest Chinatown by this metric outside Asia and one of the largest and fastest-growing Chinatowns in the world. This vibrant neighborhood centered at the intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue makes it the third busiest neighborhood epicenter in New York City, behind Times Square and Herald Square. To maintain all the pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic, constant scheduled city maintenance is required throughout New York City. Just outside of Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, drainage repair has recently taken place. Soil Solutions Inc., who specialize in pile driving, drilling, sheeting, and soil remediation throughout New York and Connecticut areas, were awarded the job which took only two weeks to complete. The equipment that was used for this task was an ICE® 22 Vibratory Hammer, chosen for its 94-ton driving force and durability to insert 40' (ft) sheet piles into the ground to allow Soil Solutions to access the drainage system. Sheet piling can be used to provide permanent foundations, permanent or temporary retaining walls and as extremely strong shuttering when a poured concrete foundation or retaining wall is required.  

International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) is honored to be a part of this drainage project which allows the busy borough of Queens, NY to never come to a halt. We thank Soil Solutions for choosing ICE® to work with them on another project and providing excellent service for the community. Keep up the splendid work Soil Solutions, Inc! 

Learn more about the ICE® Model 22.  

Media Contact-        
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA        
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations      

Vice President IT and IT Comm     
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc        
Office - 704-821-8200        
Email - marketing@iceusa.com    

America's New Space Bridge
Edited by Alan Zimmerman & Debbie Reaney 

The Robert F Kennedy Space Center is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Florida. Located on Merrit Island, the space has about 700 facilities and buildings grouped throughout the center's 140,000 acres (about half the area of San Antonio, Texas). NASA began acquiring land in 1962, buying up over 131 square miles (about the area of Athens, Georgia) of land and resources to start space programs that are forever known in American History. The Apollo program, Artemis Program, and the Space Shuttle design are just a few of the more well-known projects. To access the space center from the mainland, visitors must travel across the NASA Causeway Bridge. However, it has been in serious need of repair and an urgency to replace the aging, low-level bascule bridges and drawbridge accelerated after a 2017 NASA engineering study warned they could become too unsafe to support heavy spacecraft and freight loads. It is now being replaced and receiving a fresh look. This project will support future growth and improve public and commercial mobility access to Kennedy Space Center.  

Heavy civil, marine and industrial contractor Orion Marine Construction, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, was awarded the $126-million-dollar NASA Causeway Bridge Replacement Project which provides the primary roadway access to the Kennedy Space Center, Space X, and Blue Origin. The final bridge layout will be twin 4,025′ (ft) (1,230 m) long, high-level spans over the Intercoastal Waterway, replacing the twin bascule bridges built in 1964. Working together with the Engineers at NASA, the team collaborated to build the new bridge and completed the first eastbound bridge early which allowed for easier movement of spacecraft flight hardware to the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as well as unobstructed boating on the Indian River. The new bridges have 3% approach grades, leading to the main channel span, rather than the traditional 5 percent to 7 percent grade. This was done to accommodate transportation of heavy spacecraft flight hardware more easily across the bridge to Kennedy Space Center. During critical launches, construction temporarily shuts down to allow physical security operations to support public attendance and local viewing. In October 2023 during the Falcon Heavy launch, the team lost two days, since severe weather delayed the launch. Additionally, some excavation is prohibited during launches to ensure critical communication lines are not cut. Despite those challenges, the first bridge opened 125 days (about 4 months) ahead of the original schedule in June 2023. 

To replace the old bridge, its foundation first had to be removed requiring Orion to remove the steel piles from the bedrock. This was accomplished using two rented ICE® 44E Vibratory Hammers fitted with specialty ICE ® clamp fittings. They will complete the same process when inserting the steel piles for the new causeway, providing a modern transportation link built for today's space industry and its workforce. 

Both bridges are scheduled to be completed by early 2026 and International Construction Equipment (ICE®) is extremely proud to be working with a legacy customer like Orion Marine Construction, Inc. once again. Brilliant job, Orion! Your attention to detail and dedication to assuring a safe foundation for our country's space program is certain to launch us into the future. 

Learn more about the ICE® 44E 

Media Contact-        
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA        
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations     

Vice President IT and IT Comm     
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc        
Office - 704-821-8200        
Email - marketing@iceusa.com  

Learn more about the ICE® IP-5 

Media Contact-        
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA        
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations      

Vice President IT and IT Comm     
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc        
Office - 704-821-8200        
Email - marketing@iceusa.com   

Wren Works Marine Division is Making Waves
Duluth Coastal Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project 

Edited by Debbie Reaney 

Sinkholes at seawalls, also known as earth subsidences, are a common phenomenon occurring wherever seawalls encounter forces of moving water, such as tides, waves, or boat and ship traffic. Additionally, they may occur where older seawalls or seawall caps have deteriorated, allowing water to move behind the seawall and attack backfill and infill. In 2016, various small sinkholes were reported along the Duluth, Minnesota waterfront. These subsidences were considered dangerous, posing a particular hazard to the public along the tourist area of the waterfront near the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), where aging seawalls along the docks have allowed wave, tidal, and other water actions to penetrate the original seawall facade, eroding the soil behind the seawall in areas where pedestrians may walk.

After years of planning, it is now time for that area to become a more inviting, modern-day public space that better connects Canal Park to the Bayfront and Harbor Plaza areas. The City of Duluth is in the final phase of the project, which includes replacing the damaged seawall and aging infrastructure along the waterfront behind the DECC, a high-traffic area for ship-viewing and summer tourism.

Approximately 1,000 feet (about the height of the Empire State Building) of eroded wall will be replaced. By early 2025, the flat spaces between the seawall and the DECC will be transformed into new, safer paths for pedestrians and bicyclists, including new lighting, green-space, and gathering areas. This process will create and define a new harbor plaza area by re-imagining the use and function of the waterfront and Harbor Drive between the Minnesota Slip Bridge and Bayfront Festival Park. Cruise ships are expected to dock on the newly created seawall come the summer of 2025, instead of being forced to dock in the bay and shuttle guests to land by smaller boats. This connection is expected to link Canal Park more comfortably to attractions along the waterfront leading to the Pier B complex, including Bayfront Festival Park and the Great Lakes Aquarium, helping to boost the local economy and strengthen the Duluth area tourism and hospitality industry in the process.

The contractor chosen for this project is Wren Works, LLC, a highway heavy and marine construction company based in Poplar, WI. Wren Works specializes in the maintenance of essential infrastructure, with a particular focus and expertise on projects that involve sheet pile and dock wall construction. Construction began in the fall of 2023 and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2025. The Wren Works crew has been working through the winter to build a more weather-resistant seawall, with completion estimated at the end of 2024. Currently, Wren Works is installing the new seawall stretching from DECC Arena to Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth Harbor. To help place this new seawall, the professionals at Wren Works chose to rent an ICE® 50B Vibratory Driver/Extractor to drive DZ95 steel sheets that are 50 feet in length for the new seawalls and an ICE® IP-3 Hydraulic Impact Hammer to drive 12x53 H Piles and 12x63 H Piles and Pipe Piles approximately 50 feet long (16" diameter) down to bedrock. There have been many challenges on this project, as expected with a project of this size and scope, including time, materials, costs, soil conditions, and structural interference, as the area that the Wren Works crew is driving the new sheeting and associated components in is man-made and was once used as a shipping terminal and scrap yard long before it was turned into a convention center, that hosts one of the best views of the harbor and Aerial Lift Bridge Thankfully, according to Wren Works Project Manager, Jake Magdzas, "there has been a cost and time savings, knowing that the equipment being used is properly sized for the materials being driven. At the end of the day, time is money."

Amazing work, Wren Works, LLC! The work you are doing will repair this deteriorating seawall to better accommodate local maritime transportation and docking, as well as creating a new public plaza with separate pedestrian and bike trails. This $18 million project will not only protect the area from extreme storms and boost the economy, but it is sure to bring pride and a sense of security to the entire City of Duluth! International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) stands by their products and their team. With over 50 years of providing equipment for specialized deep foundation installation, the experts at ICE® are always available to consult with you when choosing the proper equipment for your project; just call 888-ICE-USA1.

Learn more about the ICE® IP-3 & ICE® Model 50B or contact the ICE® Sales & Service Team 

Media Contact-       
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA       
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations     

Vice President IT and IT Comm    
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc       
Office - 704-821-8200       
Email - marketing@iceusa.com   

Beaumont Wharf Expansion on the Horizon  

Edited by Debbie Reaney 

The City of Beaumont, TX celebrated breaking ground at Riverfront Park, more than five years after Hurricane Harvey devastated the area in 2017 shuttering the facility. This $17 million restoration project will include rebuilding the park's pavilions, picnic tables, lighted benches, boat docking area, and walking paths. Approximately 90 miles east of Houston and 60 miles west of Louisiana, Beaumont has over 115,000 residents and is considered by some to be the "Golden Triangle," due to its coastal location and potential for unlimited growth. 

In early 2023, local government officials selected Galveston-based construction company, Callan Marine Ltd., to lead the Riverfront Park reconstruction project which broke ground in April. So far, the experts at Callan Marine have completed the installation of interlocking concrete mats for the revetment wall to protect against erosion of the bank on the north side of the park as well as completing a large outfall structure that stabilizes two large storm lines that run through the park and discharge into the Neches River. A substantial part of this job is being completed from barges, which can be a challenge. However, Callan is a specialty marine contractor, making them a perfect fit for this project. The company will also be tweaking some drainage under the park as they go through the construction process.  

Currently, the dredging needed for the area is 59% complete and the installation of a bulkhead wall to protect the bank is in process. An ICE® IP-10 Hydraulic Impact Hammer powered by an ICE® 350 hydraulic power unit and fitted with 120' (Ft) of 36" (In) swinging leads was used to drive 18" (In) pipe piles using custom pile cradles to support the weight of pile and hold it in place while hammer drives at angle, placing them on a 1 to 1 batter to help stabilize and support the wall for the Beaumont Wharf Expansion. Twenty-five (25) of the required ninety-eight (98) batter piles were driven as of January 2024, and about 84' (Ft) of water was installed, connecting the batter piles together and providing support for the sheet pile wall. Simultaneously, an ICE® 50B Vibratory Hammer paired with an ICE® 595H Power Unit has made driving the sheet pile work a smooth and straightforward process, with eleven pairs of sheet piles already installed. 

As only 550 calendar days are allotted for this project and a tentative completion date of September 6, 2024, time is of the essence. However, the dedicated crews at Callan have been running on time and within budget and will soon be using other deep foundation equipment for marine dolphin installation as well as pile for the new dock and bulkhead along the river shoreline. Congratulations, Callan Marine and thank you for trusting the International Construction Equipment (ICE®) Sales & Service Team to provide the tools needed to complete this project in a safe and prompt manner. Your skill and performance with specialty dredging projects and knowledge of berthing depth restoration for ship docks and navigation channels will surely ease transportation in our nation's waterways and bring an economic boost to the coast of West Texas.  

Learn more about the ICE® IP-10, ICE® Model 50B and our line of ICE® Leads and Custom Accessories 

Media Contact-         
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA         
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations       

Vice President IT and IT Comm      
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc         
Office - 704-821-8200         
Email - marketing@iceusa.com