Baker to Design Wintergreen Gorge Bridge.

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1999--

Michael Baker Jr., Inc., has been selected for a $1.7 million contract by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to design the Wintergreen Gorge Bridge near Erie. Michael Baker Jr., Inc., is a subsidiary of Michael Baker Corporation (AMEX:BKR).

Under its contract, Baker will provide PennDOT with bridge type, size and location studies, final bridge design and construction consultation. The proposed Wintergreen Gorge Bridge will be approximately 1,200 feet long from abutment to abutment. It is part of the new Erie East Side Access Highway (SR4034) being built east of the city in Harborcreek Township. The four-lane bridge will carry traffic over forested land as well as Four-Mile Creek which passes through this popular recreational area.

One of the challenges of the project is finding a suitable bridge type which minimizes environmental impacts to the Wintergreen Gorge while also controlling costs. PennDOT has committed to minimizing the footprint of the structure within the gorge. Baker expects the project's 18-month design cycle to begin this month. Construction will follow and is expected to last approximately two years.

Project Manager Robert Bondi said Baker expects to be utilizing 3-dimensional CADD modeling software to generate nearly all drawings for the project.

"We have proposed using a multi-purpose, 3-dimensional model on this project. The model will be used in design, project visualization and plan preparation. This process offers tremendous advantages by consolidating the models used by everyone on the project and I believe it will set a standard for future projects," Bondi said.

Michael Baker Corporation (www.mbakercorp.com) provides engineering, construction, and operations and technical services through its five global business units: buildings, civil, energy, environmental, and transportation.