CARLISLE, PA | Dickinson Township’s new Humpback Bridge, known officially as the Burnt House Road Bridge, opened to traffic in December 2012 and is being recognized for design features that better integrate the bridge with its physical setting. The bridge received two awards from the Association of Bridge Construction and Design (ABCD) Susquehanna Chapter for Outstanding New Short-Span Bridge and Outstanding Context-Sensitive Solutions for Bridge Design.
“Dickinson Township is very proud to have an award winning bridge in our township,” said Laura Portillo, Township Manager with Dickinson Township. “We have had many residents comment on how great it looks; that it kept the feel of the old bridge, which was very important for the setting.”
Originally constructed nearly 100 years ago, the Burnt House Road Bridge was closed to traffic in 2009 due to deteriorating conditions. Mechanicsburg, PA-based Modjeski and Masters worked with its client PennDOT and the community to incorporate design elements that better integrate the bridge into its natural surroundings. The new concrete arch bridge maintains the same original humped profile, and features a faux stone façade made of concrete formed and stained to mimic limestone used in the construction of historic structures nearby.
“In replacing the Burnt House Road Bridge, the design team needed to find a solution that balanced community preference to preserve the historic bridge’s original arched stature with modern day vehicle and pedestrian traffic demands,” said Chad Clancy, PE and Structural Project Manager at Modjeski and Masters. “The end result is a safer bridge that accommodates two lanes of vehicle traffic with a sidewalk for pedestrian traffic, and an appearance that the community is proud of.”
The project is also being recognized for cost savings during construction, and an expected reduction of future maintenance – a savings that will be passed on to the taxpayer. Accelerated construction techniques enabled the team to bring the bridge back into operation more quickly. Each of the CON/SPAN arch units were constructed off site, allowing arch span construction and work on bridge foundations to take place simultaneously. The use of an asphalt deck instead of a reinforced concrete deck eliminates future re-decking as the asphalt can be repaved. Future repaving will be substantially less costly and will not require a full bridge closure.
For more information and additional photos of the Burnt House Road Bridge replacement project, please visit https://www.modjeski.com/projects/arch/burnt-house-road-bridge-replacement/.