Overview
Amtrak faces a monumental challenge in maintaining its infrastructure between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. This was never more evident than in Middletown, Pennsylvania where two vital bridges had begun to deteriorate. It was determined that the bridges needed to be replaced; however, the rail traffic could not be interrupted for a significant amount of time.
Modjeski and Masters provided design and construction consultation services for Bridge No. PA 94.98 over Wood Street and Bridge No. PA 97.74 over Union Street. The 3-span structures were designed for replacement on the same alignment using self-propelled modular transporters, or SPMT’s. Each replacement structure was erected at nearby staging areas in preparation for replacement operations – scheduled to take place over one weekend to minimize both track outage time for Amtrak and service disruptions to their passengers. M&M provided construction assistance on the precise roll-in / roll-out bridge maneuvers.
For more information, see our project documentary film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k3WXJcYIX14
Bridge Geometry
| Union Street | |
|---|---|
| Length of Main Span | 54 Feet |
| Total Project Length | 79 Feet |
| Tracks on Structure | Four Tracks |
| Wood Street | |
| Length of Main Span | 38 Feet |
| Total Project Length | 64 Feet |
| Tracks on Structure | Four Tracks |