Modjeski and Masters was awarded the design of the Hawk Falls Bridge for the new Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension. The photo shown here is the result of a conceptual design for the proposed bridge over Mud Run.
Construction commences in the Spring of 1955 on the Hawk Falls Bridge. The photo here depicts initial clearing of land on the Turnpike Right-of-Way in Hickory Run State Park. Work on the bridge substructure would start a few months later.
Work starts on the bridge substructure units in July 1955. Shown here is construction progress on the North abutment (below) and Pier III (above) near Mud Run.
In conjunction with the second Northeast Extension section to open to traffic (47 miles), the completed Hawk Falls Bridge opened to traffic. The completed bridge is a 738’ long, three-span deck truss bridge with deck I beam approach spans. It carries two lanes of Turnpike traffic in each direction.
After serving travelers on the Northeast Extension well for over 50 years, he Hawk Falls Bridge was nearing the end of its design life. Modjeski and Masters was again trusted to design a new crossing over Mud Run.
The Hawk Falls Bridge Replacement Project is progressing, with construction estimated to commence in 2021. The replacement Hawk Falls Bridge will be a 720’ long steel structure featuring a 480’ deck arch span flanked by four 60’ deck plate girder spans. As with the current bridge, the new bridge will carry two traffic lanes in each direction, but it will also provide 12’ wide outside shoulders and 6’ wide median shoulders. Three welded, steel box arch ribs will be utilized to create an aesthetically pleasing structure that spans the deep Mud Run Valley located within Hickory Run State Park.