Main Cable Preservation for the Williamsburg Bridge

The Williamsburg Bridge in New York City was opened to traffic in 1903. A study conducted in the early 1980s projected that, by 1992, the cables would be unsafe to support the bridge and its traffic, and that cable rehabilitation would not be cost-effective. The conclusion of the cable investigation was that the factor of safety of the existing cables was at least 3.0, as compared to the original 4.0. The repairs in the anchorage mentioned above increased the minimum factor of safety approximately 3.5. The cable rehabilitation contract calls for splicing of all broken or badly corroded wires in the anchorages. In addition all broken wires found during the course of the work on the wrapped portions of the main cable will be spliced. This work will further increase the factor of safety of the cables.